Everything is burning there. But the fires in Australia have likely been shoved to the back of your mind with everything that’s happened with Iran. And the impeachment. And Kobe. But for the people living there, the fires are destroying their lives as citizens of Australia. Imagine your country in flames, a billion animals dead, a classroom full of people gone, with no end in sight.

“It’s devastating . . . we should do all we can to help,” Maddie N.

Australia fires are not completely a surprise considering the dry weather and land. But because this fire is much larger, animals and people alike have greatly suffered. For animals, there is a decreased food supply. 1 billion have died so far.

I think that it’s really sad that all the animals are dying and all the people are dying [and] losing their homes,” said Cameron G.

25 people have perished in the fires – 10 of them firefighters. Thousands of houses and buildings have been destroyed, even with firefighters working to their limits.

Because of this, America is lending a helping hand to assist in fighting the Aussie fire. Extra firefighters have been sent as reinforcements, as well as ships to help people quickly get to safety. Celebrities have raised millions of dollars for the cause. Even with all this support, Australia is still burning.

“We have more resources than other countries, so we should help,” said Owen G.

There are plenty of ways you can help from thousands of miles away. You can donate through the Australian Red Cross, GIVIT, Salvation Army Australia, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the NSW Rural Fire Service. You can also donate money to help feed animals that have been relocated from the fire.

“It’s very sad and bad that people are losing their homes, losing their family members, losing everything,” said Laila C.

There are ways to prevent this from happening in the future. For example, if we are more careful, the risk of an accidental fire in the forest is nearly eliminated. Thus, a situation like this is likely not going to happen, saving the lives of people and animals.

“I think that we should take care of our environment just to make sure that our world is safe,” said Trevor C.

There is not a clear cause to the fires. It may have been natural, and climate change could have made the fires worse. The fires may also have been economic terrorism, as 24 people have been arrested for arson. Or, because the drought in Australia parallels those in California, the fire could have spread equally as quickly.

Australia has been burning for months, and Aussies have experienced the worst, losing homes, animals, and citizens. The future of this disaster is in question as few can predict the effect the fires will bring on the land down under.