In the past months, bushfires in Australia have ravaged the country, resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of animals and at least 28 human lives, according to The Washington Post. Students at BYU–Hawaii commented on the crisis and shared hopeful responses to the tragedy.
Dujon Arama Chase, an interdisciplinary studies sophomore focusing on education and music, is from Brisbane, Australia. He said the bushfires have been the worst Australia has had in decades.
Time Magazine reported the fires have burned a total area about twice the size of the state of Maryland. A total of 82 bushfires continue to burn, with 30 of them uncontained, according to CNN.
“Not only are they in one place, but they are slowly spreading like a virus. They’re weaving all the way through New South Wales, all the way across to Southern Australia and over to Western Australia,” said Chase.
Devastation from the bushfires
Kaden Baird, a business marketing senior from Utah, heard a lot about the fires. He commented, “It’s been a lot drier [in Australia] this year which has been a cause of the widespread fires.” According to Baird, this dryness has been unusual.
Cameron A. Cameron, a hospitality and tourism management freshman, said he calls Queensland home. He shared how the bushfires have personally affected his family members. “Where I’m from, they can’t escape because the fires are so large. Where my mum is from, she’s okay because it’s more smoke inhalation there, since she is more inland. I have some cousins and uncles who are in Sydney and surrounding areas, so they’ve lost their farm. They’ve lost everything.”
The wildfires have also brought insurmountable suffering to the animal population. Chase said the bush is where the animals mainly live, and the fires are preventing animals from finding a suitable home with the right temperature.
Chase said this biological diversity is preventing them from finding suitable places for the wildlife. “I’ve heard stories of local zookeepers trying to move their animals to safer places, but because of the bushfires, some of these pathways are blocked or uninhabitable.”
The number of lost animals is in the hundreds of millions. The BBC quoted the University of Sydney Biodiversity Expert Chris Dickman saying, “We’ve estimated that in the three million hectares alone that were burned up … probably as many as 480 million mammals, birds, and reptiles would have been affected by the fires.”
The threat of extinction for treasured Australian wildlife is real, according to Cameron. “Koalas and other animals [local to Australia] are actually getting to the threat of extinction. I have quite a few friends back home who are wildlife conservationists and they are [overwhelmed] with burnt animals to the point that the [animals] are actually dying.”
Australia’s industrial sectors have also suffered. Chase explained, “It’s so bad. It has blocked off tourism because people can’t find places to stay. All of the houses have been taken. It’s closing down all of the major highways like the Nullarborthat connects the cities in South Australia down to Melbourne.”
The blame
Baird said he read an article that said people had been arrested for starting the fires. DailyMail Australia quoted Member of Parliament Craig Kelly who said, “Unprecedented numbers of people had been arrested and charged with arson offenses. The arson is not caused by climate change.”
Some have been quick to judge climate change as the sole reason for the bushfires such as climate scientist Tim Flannery on CNN and actor Russell Crowe. Climate change, explained Cameron, is to a degree a reason for the fires, but the main reason is arsonists.
DailyMail Australia said. “Scientists believe climate change is amplifying the conditions necessary for firestorms to occur.” They quoted Scott Menor, who has a doctoral degree in physics from the University of Arizona, “Even if all the fires were started by arson, ‘climate change made the difference between throwing a match in water to throwing it in gasoline.’”
Hopeful responses from around the world
“The world’s finally starting to lend a hand,” said Cameron. “We are getting firefighters from around the world and donations.”
Baird commented, “All around the world, people have been aware of it and are reaching out in the best way they can.”
On Jan. 2, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked its Pacific congregations to fast and pray for relief from bushfires and drought conditions in Australia.
Some leaders of the Church said in a statement, “In temporal terms, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the generosity of its members, will continue to respond to the needs of local communities and Saints alike. Comparatively, as limited as our help might be, we gladly step forward with assistance to make a difference for good, for that is who we are as Latter-day Saints and what we do.”
Chase said the fasting and prayers seem to have been helping. “Many friends over there are saying that rain has finally come back thanks to many prayers being offered around the world. They say as soon as Sunday [Jan. 5] came, it rained in the local suburbs, but they’re hoping it will reach the flames.”
The family of the beloved Aussie icon Steve Irwin has also been hard at work trying to save the animals, explained Baird. Bindi Irwin, daughter of Steve and Terri Irwin, said on her social media, "Dad spent his life working so hard to protect wildlife and wild places, especially in Australia. I wish he was here right now to give advice and strength during this time of devastation with the bush fires. I know that his spirit lives on through our conservation work and I hope together we can make him proud.”
Bindi Irwin continued, “There are no fires near us, Australia Zoo, or our conservation properties. Our Wildlife Hospital is busier than ever though, having officially treated over 90,000 patients. My parents dedicated our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital to my beautiful grandmother. We will continue to honor her by being wildlife warriors and saving as many lives as we can."
Robert Irwin, Steve Irwin’s son, also posted on his social media. He said he is "proud to be one of the many who are coming together to try to affect some positive change during this incredibly difficult time. We’re here to help where we can for wildlife and to treat the survivors. Again, my greatest thank you goes to Australia’s incredible firefighters.”
The New York Times listed some of the ways people outside Australia can help. To help animal victims, the Times says to donate to Port Macquarie Animal Hospital, RSPCA New South Wales, Australian Koala Foundation, Koala In Care, World Wildlife Fund, or WIRES.
To help put out the fires and help more human victims, individuals can donate to the Australian Red Cross, GIVIT, Salvation Army Australia, St. Vincent de Paul Society, or the NSW Rural Fire Service. The New York Times also reported the home-sharing company Airbnb is offering free temporary housing to those displaced from the wildfires.
The bushfires continue to burn despite the relief pouring in from around the world. According to Chase, Australia is resilient and will get through the crisis, though it may take decades to do so. Robert Irwin agreed, “If there’s anyone who can band together and lend a hand in crisis, it’s Australians."