BURRAGATE, NSW — More than 12 million acres have burned, dozens of lives have been lost, thousands more people have been evacuated and more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed in the bushfires that are devastating parts of Australia.
In addition to the human death toll, at least 27 people, it's estimated that more than a billion animals have also perished. The family of the late Steve Irwin said they were rescuing or treating more than 90,000 animals.
People are looking for ways to help from afar. Australia's ABC News and 7 News compiled this list of groups accepting donations to assist in the firefighting and recovery efforts.
- Australian Red Cross
- Salvation Army Australia
- Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal
- New South Wales Rural Fire Service
- Victoria Country Fire Authority
- South Australian Country Fire Service
- Kangaroo Island Relief and Recovery Fund
- State Emergency Relief Fund
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- New South Wales Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service
- Wildlife Victoria
Singer Pink also tweeted out a list of local fire services she said she was donating to.
The tragic crisis has scorched an area larger than the U.S. state of Indiana since September.
Four of the casualties are firefighters.
The Australian prime minister says his government is adapting and building resilience to the fire danger posed by climate change.
The wildfires have brought accusations that Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative government needs to take more action to counter climate change. Morrison says his government is developing a disaster risk reduction framework dealing with wildfires, cyclones, floods and drought.
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The Associated Press contributed.