You may have seen images of burnt koalas and kangaroos fleeing fires recently on social media.
This is because Australia is currently in the midst of a environmental crisis, one which has left millions of hectares of land razed, houses destroyed and firefighters battling blazes daily.
Huge scale of fires
Currently, more than 20 people have died from the raging fires, according to CNA, and an estimated half a billion animals are believed to have perished.
Around six million hectares of land -- including bushland, national parks, towns and cities -- have been ravaged by the fires.
This figure comprises areas which have already been burnt, and areas which are currently burning, reported Australian media 9News.
A sense of scale
To provide some perspective on the sheer scale of the fires, here are some maps of various geographical regions.
The highlighted areas denote the approximate combined size of the Australia bushfires.
Depicted here are the scale of the fires in comparison to Singapore and Malaysia, Ireland and Belgium
Clearly, the fires dwarf tiny Singapore—it is roughly 83 times the size of the country.
Photo from Andrew Tierney / FB
Photo from Donegal Weather Channel / FB
Photo from Donegal Weather Channel / FB
Intense fires a combination of factors including climate change
The fires have since expanded to cover an area twice the size of Belgium, CNA reported.
This is a bigger area than the burning of the Amazon rainforest, which garnered much media attention from netizens and celebrities alike.
In August 2019, 2.5 million hectares of forest were destroyed -- compared to the six million hectares of Australian land which have been razed thus far.
The fires have been so intense that the soot and smog have turned Australia's neighbour New Zealand's skies an ominous yellow.
While Australia is no stranger to fires, especially during the tinder-dry weather of the year-end bushfire season, the situation this time is unprecedented in both scale and intensity.
According to the Telegraph, the continent is in the throes of a heatwave—temperatures have soared to record-breaking heights in the past three months.
Shortage of rainfall, fires fanned by strong winds
Mid-December 2019 also saw Australia's hottest day in history, with the mercury rising to 41.9°C.
The flames are also being fanned by strong winds of up to 60km/h.
Notwithstanding the shortage of rainfall, which has been decreasing since 2017, these combination of factors has likely resulted in one of Australia's most urgent calamities.
Experts state that climate change is potentially exacerbating the situation. As conditions become hotter and drier, bushfire seasons will last longer and become more intense.
Acknowledging the importance of climate change is key to understanding, fighting and mitigating future situations like these.
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Top photo from Andrew Tierney / FB and Donegal Weather Channel / FB