Australia’s roaring dragon of fire
Grace Myers, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.
“(It sounds) like a roaring dragon running towards us stomping on the trees and branches in a temper,” Australian resident Lainey Covill’s 7-year-old grandson tells her.
The angry dragon that this seven-year-old is referring to is the fire currently burning on the eastern Australian coast, predominately in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. These fires continue to blaze, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Approximately 24,375 square miles have been burned, resulting in more than 20 people dead and an estimated one billion animals lost.
“Fires generally have a pattern that’s somewhat predictable, but these ones are rewriting the books on that,” says Covill, whose son is currently helping fight the fires, “all the firefighters are exhausted.”
At least four firefighters have died at this time, but the country is still burning, and the fires are still growing. However, the fires themselves are now only part of the problem for Australia.
“Fires are something I only see in the smoke that darkens our skies,” says Australian resident Jacinta Maree. “We can always smell it in the breeze and feel it tickle and scratch our throats.” Many workplaces in Australia are now closed because of the hazardous levels of smoke in the air.
NASA expects the smoke from the fires to fully travel around the globe before dissipating. This means that even South Carolina could potentially experience the effects of the smoke.
Australia’s tourism industry has also taken a hit from the fires according to both women who were interviewed. For reference, over 8.7 million tourists visited Australia in 2019, spending over 45.2 billion dollars based on statistics provided by the Australian government.
“Australia needs for other countries to know we are open for business. If we don’t get tourists, our country struggles in the future. There’s lots to see in other areas,” says Covill. “I think if the American people would like to help, then I would love to see them decide to take a family trip to Australia…I do believe Australia is such a beautiful place with beautiful people. It would be amazing to be able to share it,” says Maree in a separate statement.
Despite its current struggles, the country is rallying together. “The whole country is pulling together to help the victims that have lost everything. And yet those same people who have lost everything are helping their neighbors save their properties or catching their horses and taking them to safety,” says Covill, “We’ve had people drive 4 hours to reach remote country towns to take food and cook for the weary. And others have offered their empty rental houses free of charge to families in need. We open our houses to strangers so they can find their feet.”
If you would like to help in the Australian recovery efforts, Covill recommends donating to the Australian Red Cross. You can donate on their website at https://www.redcross.org.au.
