The flames which have been consuming Australia for months, have razed homes and wiped out entire towns. Since the start of the 2019 fire season, a staggering 10 million hectares have been burned across the country. For comparison, the California fires of 2018 claimed about 800,000 hectares.
About half a billion animals have suffered from the blaze in the New South Wales state alone, with millions potentially dead, according to ecologists at the University of Sydney. These numbers include birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats. Insects and frogs are also excluded from the list, meaning the true number is much higher.
However, like Josef Stalin once said, "The death of one ... is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic." So, to help you comprehend the devastating destruction of the bushfires, here is a list of before-and-after photos from the affected areas.
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Kangaroo Island
Around one third of the island has been destroyed and a huge amount of koalas that are the only known chlamydia disease free colony in Australia. And sadly 2 lives lost, thousands evacuated, over 50 homes destroyed. There are only 2 places accessible for anyone and that is Kingscote and Penneshaw which are the closest areas to the ferry if a mass evacuation is needed. We have a fleet of public volunteers on the mainland on the ready if reinforcements are needed.
We are praying for you, it's heartbreaking to see all this suffering and waste of nature...I really hope you will reborn from your ashes
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I’m not sure what I am voting on here. It’s so sad, not a popularity contest.
The land will recover, with rain and time: but the animals are tragically gone. 😭
Kangaroo Island depends upon tourism, and most of the scenery that people come to visit has been destroyed - but there are still vineyards and lavender farms that have avoided the fires, there are still the seals and dolphins to see, there are still pristine beaches and excellent food, wine, honey products, seafood and many other reasons to visit the island that is 4400 km2 (bigger than Rhode Island). Come visit, maybe next year there will be some growth recovery
When was this taken? I don’t see any smoke, so ha strips already burned through? I’m pretty sure this is a stupid question.
No question is a stupid question if you genuinely don't know the answer. The fires have been going for a long time in one place or another, so I would say this one has burnt out a while ago. Long enough for the smoke to clear.
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All of these are heartbreaking. I wish there was some way to help more.
The trees & grasses will be back in a year or so & it will be beautiful, but empty as some of our beautiful animals will be gone
Within 2 years it will be back to the pristine bush with less fire load - I saw it happen in the NT with my own eyes. SORRY FOR EVERYONE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES THOUGH.
breaking my heart, what devastation done to a beautiful place....
I don't live far away from one of these fires. From what I have heard, 240 people have lost their lives. Most of the koala population has been wiped-out. Only a small percentage left. Kangaroos, Koalas, Possums, you name it - Gone!!! Last I heard around 800,000 animals have perished. 342 fires in NSW & 340 fires in Victoria. There are mass fires in Adelaide hills. You can see the hills on fire from my place. My street and our main road you cannot see anything much from smoke. Lots of smoke coming in from Adelaide hills and kangaroo island. I did a good thing today for all those who are suffering, I donated money!!! Absolutely terrifying!!!!
Such a devastating disaster. Wish l could send rain & put out all the fires !! Sending Positive thoughts & Love ****************
After a large fire, the ash continues to settle for MONTHS. Everything you touch makes you feel like a smoker, you can TASTE the ash. Yuck.
I drove on this road of Kangaroo Island two months ago for my honeymoon. I am devastated in seeing this. Stay safe, people. Our thoughts are with you.
I was there for a week over Christmas, leaving six days before. To see the destruction the fires have caused is terrible. I saw a photo of the Remarkable Rocks surrounded by burnt out vegetation. At least rocks can't burn.
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Payback time has come. And who’s paying most? Innocent animals, for crisis sake! Stupid AwfulStralia!!
This is the exact same road, just the photo has not been taken in the exact same spot.
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It is the same place, maybe not the exact same spot but it is the same general area and road.
Load More Replies...In the Australian capital Canberra - an administrative region surrounded by New South Wales - the air quality was rated the third worst of all major global cities on Friday. Also, the weather forecast predicts very hot and dry conditions, with strong winds and thunderstorms. This only increases further fire risk.
Tathra Beach, Nsw In Australia. Before And After The Smoke And Ash From Surrounding Fires Arrived. The Black Debris In The Bottom Photo Is Charred Wood And Ash Washed Up On The Shore
Ecologists have grave concerns for the future of unique and endangered wildlife on Kangaroo Island as well. There, bushfires have already killed thousands of koalas.
Fires on the island have destroyed 155,000 hectares of land, about one third of the island’s entire area. Most blazes have hit the biodiverse western areas.
The Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife organisation has eight sites on private land where they protect various endangered species, including dunnarts, goannas, echidnas, bandicoots and the glossy black-cockatoos.
“People call this place a little Noah’s Ark. The island is a refuge. This is the largest fire we have seen in a long time,” ecologist at Land for Wildlife, Heidi Groffen told The Guardian, highlighting that all eight sites were extensively burned. Even the cameras they used for monitoring had melted.
Kangaroo Island
Mogo Wildlife Park
In case anyone is worried about the animals in Mogo zoo they are all safe.
2 Hours Before vs. 3 Days After. This Is The Devastation Left By The Fires In Sarsfield, Victoria. Still Can’t Believe The House Still Stands
Cobargo's Historic Main Street
Genoa Bridge
Mallacoota Wharf
This is just so saddening to see. Everything is so red and it's horrifying to think that this is actually happening while most other people sit cozy in their homes, utterly oblivious.
Wildlife Sanctuary In Canberra, Au Before And After Fire
Before And After For One Australian Family
Before And After Of Sydney Due To Smoke From The Rampant Bush Fires
Australia’s Smoke From The Bush Fires Means You Can’t See Mt Cook In New Zealand. Look At The Before And After Pictures
These photos are of different lakes. You can't see mt cook from the location of the 2nd photo anyway.
This Is Cobargo, Before And After Today. This Is... Unbelievable
Betka Road
The Scenic Town Of Mallacoota
The Same Day... Before And After Of The Tianjara Fire Burning In The Shoalhaven
This Is The View Today Compared To The Same Time Last Year Where We’re Staying In Merimbula With Our In-Laws For Our Summer Holiday. We Can Hear Firefighting Helicopters Landing At The Airport Below But Cannot See A Thing
Batemans Bay Mini Golf
This would be absolutely terrifying for everyone in the area. My heart goes out to every one, all the animals. Please take care of yourselves. And a big thankyou for all our heroic fire fighters and emergency services.
Araluen Motor Lodge
This is all so heartbreaking. So many lives lost both human and animal. It will take a long time for Australia to recover from this. I fear the economy will take a huge hit.
Aussies are damn tough though. They will recover, and so will the land, but the animals lost and towns wrecked will take a good while to come back
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Tyler Duffy, get your facts straight https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/08/police-contradict-claims-spread-online-exaggerating-arsons-role-in-australian-bushfires?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2UksB3eSUnLG4Wur9MHidF_wIROTYTAKOy8gR7VvEqBcpndSbztrxyeyw#Echobox=1578487678
As an Aussie the ignorance on the internet is disturbing.
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@Tyler Duffy, the fires weren't caused by Arson, get your facts right.
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Australia will never be the same again but I truly hope the people and animals can make a comeback in the near future
Australia has been through this many many times before. It well some day be the same.
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This is absolutely devastating. As a zoology student, it breaks my heart knowing to just the extent of how many animals will be killed in horrific ways. Many animals in Australia cannot travel fast enough to escape the fires. Even if they survive the initial fire, the landscape will be so devastated that the animals will slowly starve to death. Australia is ridden with the mummified remains of millions of lives. I hope they recover soon.
The Tammy Only creature that is touting for business in the comments section of such an article, should be utterly ashamed of themselves.
The page's censors could block them if they were paying attention to what was going on.
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This is very sad and heartbreaking. I don't know much about bushfires, but I do know some things about tornadoes and I don't think that they are nearly as devastating as the bushfires appear to be. My prayers and thoughts are with all the people and animals affected by this disaster.
The conditions extreme temperatures & low humidity caused firestorms, which were like fire tornados. They were creating their own lightening which was starting more fires.
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How did these fires all start? What can we in the US do? I don't have a bunch of money to send but are there other things, real things we can do to help?
You can donate to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief
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I can barely look at pictures like these. I'm on the other side of the world. But regardless of where we are, we're all here together. It hurts to have to sit here and helplessly watch. The only thing I can think to do is drive less, recycle more and eat less meat. And pray for rain. Lots and lots of rain.
I grew up in SoCal (also known as "a pile of oil-soaked rags in a corner) so I'm very familiar with fire. That said, these recent fires are terrifying AF, even to me. I *had* friends in Paradise. I was there for about a week when they got married. Now the town is just... gone, and so many people died. My friends and their family survived, but their homes burned. Looking at the destruction in Paradise and now Au makes me cry. I'm grateful I live in a rainforest, but climate change could destroy this area I love so much, and it's already taking things from ALL of us.
Poor, beautiful Australia: your lovely country looks like hell on earth in some of these pictures. And the animal and habitat losses too - this is all beyond tragic. Our hearts go out to you.
We will survive. https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/heartening-photos-show-bush-coming-back-to-life-after-fires/news-story/dbf69fa67e7cc311cde736cb8f57846a
You are so right, we will survive because all of us has each other.
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With smoke conditions so bad, I imagine there have been many deaths amongst the elderly and those with lung problems such as Asthma and COPD. We only know about actual fire deaths and not about the secondary deaths due to smoke pollution. This really is a disaster even bigger than we are aware of.
I upvoted only because it lets us know just how bad it is there. Many prayers for those in Australia, human and animal.
Everytime I see a list of 'things that have changed in Australia', I started wanted to cry. Bushfire happens every year, but it's never in this scale and has never scarred the land this bad. Animals, forests, everything is turning into ash and it's really, really, depressing to see and think of.
All of this makes want to cry 😭 😭 It makes me think of all the poor animals, especially the koalas! Dear God, help us save the earth and let all the humans/people live, even under these conditions. Amen 🙏
this is so heartbreaking. so much devastation to the land and all life.
I am on purpose avoiding all the articles about koalas and other animals there, because it would break my heart, decided to watch this, broke my hear anyway ;(
I am guessing that much like the American West, Australia has been inhibiting natural fires needed in nature. This has allowed dry brush and what they call duff to build up fueling these "climate change" fires. Also as I understand there has been significant arson, see my first point.
Actually that is incorrect, there was a little arson, but most of the fires were started by lightening & the fact that we've had little rain for a number of years so everything is so dry it's not funny. There has been burn offs, but perhaps not enough, however if you're not going to get the correct information then the onus is on you to get that.
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I hope that all the animals that are still alive be treated well.
Thank you for showing us and updating us on the current state of Australia - some people fail to realize the devastating effects of fire. As horrible as this is, the world needs to see this.
I can assure the readers of these post, that many of these fires have been acts of arson. Many birds gather burning twigs and carry them to other areas to frighten prey out of the scrub. I live in Northern New South Wales in Australia.
Honestly that is the best thing we can do, along with going out there to help, or donating.
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Tyler Duffey, i hope you enjoy downvotes, because with your incorrect information you're gonna get a lot of them.
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This is death and destruction. We have lost over half a billion animals, animals that are already vulnerable and endangered. We may have even lost species completely but won’t know until the fires are over and the areas are assessed etc. In many ways we can come back from this but in other ways there is no coming back.
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Maybe you're being downvoted for spreading idiotic climate change denier misinformation? You want an agenda? Try attempting to blame 13 million acres of fires on 20~ people setting fires (if you actually looked into your claim you would have learned under 30 people were actually arrested for starting fires).
Load More Replies... This is all so heartbreaking. So many lives lost both human and animal. It will take a long time for Australia to recover from this. I fear the economy will take a huge hit.
Aussies are damn tough though. They will recover, and so will the land, but the animals lost and towns wrecked will take a good while to come back
Load More Replies... Tyler Duffy, get your facts straight https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/08/police-contradict-claims-spread-online-exaggerating-arsons-role-in-australian-bushfires?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2UksB3eSUnLG4Wur9MHidF_wIROTYTAKOy8gR7VvEqBcpndSbztrxyeyw#Echobox=1578487678
As an Aussie the ignorance on the internet is disturbing.
Load More Replies... @Tyler Duffy, the fires weren't caused by Arson, get your facts right.
Load More Replies... Australia will never be the same again but I truly hope the people and animals can make a comeback in the near future
Australia has been through this many many times before. It well some day be the same.
Load More Replies... This is absolutely devastating. As a zoology student, it breaks my heart knowing to just the extent of how many animals will be killed in horrific ways. Many animals in Australia cannot travel fast enough to escape the fires. Even if they survive the initial fire, the landscape will be so devastated that the animals will slowly starve to death. Australia is ridden with the mummified remains of millions of lives. I hope they recover soon.
The Tammy Only creature that is touting for business in the comments section of such an article, should be utterly ashamed of themselves.
The page's censors could block them if they were paying attention to what was going on.
Load More Replies... This is very sad and heartbreaking. I don't know much about bushfires, but I do know some things about tornadoes and I don't think that they are nearly as devastating as the bushfires appear to be. My prayers and thoughts are with all the people and animals affected by this disaster.
The conditions extreme temperatures & low humidity caused firestorms, which were like fire tornados. They were creating their own lightening which was starting more fires.
Load More Replies... How did these fires all start? What can we in the US do? I don't have a bunch of money to send but are there other things, real things we can do to help?
You can donate to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief
Load More Replies... I can barely look at pictures like these. I'm on the other side of the world. But regardless of where we are, we're all here together. It hurts to have to sit here and helplessly watch. The only thing I can think to do is drive less, recycle more and eat less meat. And pray for rain. Lots and lots of rain.
I grew up in SoCal (also known as "a pile of oil-soaked rags in a corner) so I'm very familiar with fire. That said, these recent fires are terrifying AF, even to me. I *had* friends in Paradise. I was there for about a week when they got married. Now the town is just... gone, and so many people died. My friends and their family survived, but their homes burned. Looking at the destruction in Paradise and now Au makes me cry. I'm grateful I live in a rainforest, but climate change could destroy this area I love so much, and it's already taking things from ALL of us.
Poor, beautiful Australia: your lovely country looks like hell on earth in some of these pictures. And the animal and habitat losses too - this is all beyond tragic. Our hearts go out to you.
We will survive. https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/heartening-photos-show-bush-coming-back-to-life-after-fires/news-story/dbf69fa67e7cc311cde736cb8f57846a
You are so right, we will survive because all of us has each other.
Load More Replies... With smoke conditions so bad, I imagine there have been many deaths amongst the elderly and those with lung problems such as Asthma and COPD. We only know about actual fire deaths and not about the secondary deaths due to smoke pollution. This really is a disaster even bigger than we are aware of.
I upvoted only because it lets us know just how bad it is there. Many prayers for those in Australia, human and animal.
Everytime I see a list of 'things that have changed in Australia', I started wanted to cry. Bushfire happens every year, but it's never in this scale and has never scarred the land this bad. Animals, forests, everything is turning into ash and it's really, really, depressing to see and think of.
All of this makes want to cry 😭 😭 It makes me think of all the poor animals, especially the koalas! Dear God, help us save the earth and let all the humans/people live, even under these conditions. Amen 🙏
this is so heartbreaking. so much devastation to the land and all life.
I am on purpose avoiding all the articles about koalas and other animals there, because it would break my heart, decided to watch this, broke my hear anyway ;(
I am guessing that much like the American West, Australia has been inhibiting natural fires needed in nature. This has allowed dry brush and what they call duff to build up fueling these "climate change" fires. Also as I understand there has been significant arson, see my first point.
Actually that is incorrect, there was a little arson, but most of the fires were started by lightening & the fact that we've had little rain for a number of years so everything is so dry it's not funny. There has been burn offs, but perhaps not enough, however if you're not going to get the correct information then the onus is on you to get that.
Load More Replies... I hope that all the animals that are still alive be treated well.
Thank you for showing us and updating us on the current state of Australia - some people fail to realize the devastating effects of fire. As horrible as this is, the world needs to see this.
I can assure the readers of these post, that many of these fires have been acts of arson. Many birds gather burning twigs and carry them to other areas to frighten prey out of the scrub. I live in Northern New South Wales in Australia.
Honestly that is the best thing we can do, along with going out there to help, or donating.
Load More Replies... Tyler Duffey, i hope you enjoy downvotes, because with your incorrect information you're gonna get a lot of them.
Load More Replies... This is death and destruction. We have lost over half a billion animals, animals that are already vulnerable and endangered. We may have even lost species completely but won’t know until the fires are over and the areas are assessed etc. In many ways we can come back from this but in other ways there is no coming back.
Load More Replies... Maybe you're being downvoted for spreading idiotic climate change denier misinformation? You want an agenda? Try attempting to blame 13 million acres of fires on 20~ people setting fires (if you actually looked into your claim you would have learned under 30 people were actually arrested for starting fires).
Load More Replies...