Australia is burning, and it has been for over 4 months. This is no secret, as many horrific images have been consistently projected across international news and various social media outlets, depicting the tragic events that are currently unfolding throughout the nation, with no end in sight.

 Many of the images that have been released are nothing short of tear-jerking, as some depict the horrible ecological catastrophe that is still happening in Australia. To augment the message of sadness that is spread by those horrible images, a recent figure shows that over one billion animals have been killed as a direct result of the wildfires. Luke Munch ‘21 commented on, “how horrible it is to see such an event have such a large effect on human and animal life,” and how he, “hopes to see Australia bounce back from this horrible disaster.” Munch is not alone in his wish, as millions of people across the globe have supported efforts to help combat the wildfires. Teddy DeVoll ‘21 commented on how he, “hopes to see many donations go toward the necessary cause that is wildfire relief,” and that, “spreading the word to not only make sure people donate but to make sure that they donate to a source that will actually have an impact on the people, such as the Australian Red Cross.” DeVoll makes a good point, as many different Instagram accounts and fake websites have been popping up boasting that they will help Australia when in reality they do nothing of the sort. 

One thing that is certain about these fires is that they will leave a permanent scar on the country and its people, as this season is shaping up to be the most intense fire season in Australian history, with species literally going extinct as a result. Furthermore, the previous preparations that have worked to stave off the fires have proven ineffective. For example, areas that have been “pre-burned” in order to prevent being burned again are, ironically, burning throughout these fires. Many farms and homesteads surrounded solely by short grasses and fields are burning, unlike they ever have before. This is a direct result of the extremeness of the fires that Australia is facing currently. This, unfortunately, is becoming the new normal for Australians. As climate change becomes more of a prevalent issue, Australians will have to adapt to the new normal of extreme temperatures and droughts, which results in a more prevalent and destructive fire season. This has been shown in stark detail during the 2019-2020 season thus far. 

Australia is in dire need of assistance, and that need is, unfortunately, going to be present for much of the foreseeable future.