Summer bushfires in Australia are nothing unusual, but the 2019-2020 fires have affected the country on an unprecedented scale. Even though I am nowhere near the danger areas already destroyed or potentially threatened by the fires, I have some friends across various states who have been forced to evacuate. There’s not much I can do to help, aside from donating, but I thought I’d also put together a post with a few links for any of my readers who want to contribute.
The emotional and economic toll of the Australian bushfires has been immense, with several people dead, many homes lost and rural businesses and towns deprived of the tourism money they desperately need to survive (not to mention half the country is now covered in smoke to the extent where the air quality is now hazardous in some major cities). People who have been forced to evacuate also have had no access to food or clothing, though folks have donated these things in large quantities to the extent authorities are now saying they don’t need more physical item donations and requesting cash donations instead. The Victorian Government has set up this page to allow people to donate, with money going directly to the affected communities.
Our firefighters – many of whom are volunteers – are also doing their best to save as many homes and lives as they can. To donate to Victorian firefighters, visit the CFA’s page. You can also help the NSW firefighters at the RFS site.
In addition to the financial and economic impact on humans, there’s also been a devastating impact on the environment, with many animals killed, native plants destroyed and potentially whole species of flora and fauna wiped out. On top of that, a lot of animals have been hurt, or have had their habitat burnt away and have nowhere to go.
Here are some charities that are helping to look after animals that have been displaced or injured in the fires…
WIRES (NSW)
Wildlife Victoria (VIC)
If I find more links for donations that will help either firefighters trying to stop the blazes or people and animals who have been affected, I’ll update this post, but otherwise, thank you to anyone who donate.
artdragon86 
Thank you, everything helps. The scale of devastation hasn’t yet nearly been understood and there are still many more challenges to face in the coming months, directly from continuing fires as well as ways we haven’t foreseen. I am trying to think of ways to contribute and help through art …even art therapy for victims, particularly children. Hopefully I’ll come up with something useful . Sherry
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Thank you very much for this insightful post! I really valued reading it. I have recently published an article on my blog about the bushfire crisis but I have tried to portray the positive aspects and how others can assist. If you have time, it would be great if you could check out my post, as I would be interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks 🙂
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