Australia is being ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades, with large swathes of the country devastated since the fire season began in September.
A total of 17 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales alone, more than 900 houses have been destroyed. State and federal authorities are struggling to contain the massive blazes, even with firefighting assistance from other countries, including the United States.
All this has been exacerbated by persistent heat and drought, and many point to climate change as a factor making natural disasters go from bad to worse.
From Axios:
The state of play: Australia faces a humanitarian crisis from the country’s deadly wildfires, with gas, food and water beginning to run out on the New South Wales South Coast, 7News reports.
- Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology tweeted there’s an elevated fire and heat danger for NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.
NPR has some great pictures here:
