The sky above Bethells Beach on the west coast near Auckland turns orange as smoke from the Australia wildfires arrives in New Zealand, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended his leadership and his government's record on climate change Sunday as milder temperatures brought hope of a respite from wildfires that have ravaged three states, destroying almost 2,000 homes.
Australia deploys military reservists to combat wildfire, as thousands evacuate
The death toll from the fires, now in their fifth month, has risen to 24.
By Emily Kwong/NPR
Michael Craig / New Zealand Herald via AP Photo
The sky above Bethells Beach on the west coast near Auckland turns orange as smoke from the Australia wildfires arrives in New Zealand, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended his leadership and his government's record on climate change Sunday as milder temperatures brought hope of a respite from wildfires that have ravaged three states, destroying almost 2,000 homes.
(Sydney) — The outbreak of wildfires in Australia has reached a tipping point. Thousands of residents were evacuated this week, as bush fires reached the suburban fringes of Sydney, the skies turning blood-red. Coastline towns in the states of New South Wales and Victoria were consumed by the blaze, leaving thousands homeless. Many are stuck behind fire lines, trapped without power or cell service.
The death toll from the fires, now in their fifth month, has risen to 24. Authorities said mass evacuations of residents living in at-risk areas in New South Wales and Victoria this week prevented a major loss of life.
The Australian government took the unprecedented step to call up 3,000 reservists to battle the escalating fires and conduct evacuations. They deployed additional firefighting aircraft and the HMAS Adelaide, the Navy’s largest ship, to evacuate stranded residents along the coast. It is the largest military deployment the continent has seen since World War II.
“This length of [fire] season is unprecedented,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a press conference on Saturday. “The ferocity and the absence of dousing rains that would normally bring a season like this under control is nowhere in sight.”
Morrison has been heavily criticized for his handling of the disaster, resisting national intervention prior to this weekend (bush fires are typically handled by state governments) and vacationing in Hawaii as fires escalated in December. Morrison has also routinely minimized the link between extreme fire conditions and global warming.
Last year was the driest and hottest year on record in Australia. The western Sydney suburb of Penrith was the hottest spot in the country on Saturday afternoon, reaching 48.9 degrees Celsius, or 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Mark Fennick of Penrith told NPR’s Jason Beaubien, while seeking refuge at a convenience store with his son Henry and their dog Lurch.
While Australia is no stranger to bush fires, a two-year drought combined with record-breaking temperatures has made this fire season unusually volatile and expansive. Fire season began early, around September 6th. The blazes have strained firefighting resources across southeastern states and will likely continue for weeks.
Twitter@NSWRFS / AP Photo
In this image dated Dec. 30, 2019, and provided by NSW Rural Fire Service via their twitter account, firefighters are seen as they try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales. Wildfires burning across Australia’s two most-populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused fatalities.
In a news conference, Shane Fitzsimmons, the rural fire commissioner for the state of New South Wales, said Saturday was “one of our worst days on record.” A combination of searing heat and low humidity exacerbated conditions for the fire to spread. According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius — 104 degrees Fahrenheit — in many areas.
Improved weather conditions and cooler temperatures on Sunday brought a welcome reprieve. Firefighters in New South Wales gained an upper hand on several dangerous blazes.
As of 6 a.m. on Monday morning in Australia, a total of 136 fires were burning across the state of New South Wales, with 69 uncontained, according to the state’s Rural Fire Service. Crews were focusing on containment of large fires.
The ecological toll of this year’s fire season is not fully known, but likely catastrophic. Professor Chris Dickman at the University of Sydney estimates that 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have been affected in the state of New South Wales since September.
Dr. Gundi Rhoades, a veterinarian in New South Wales, told NPR’s Sarah McCammon about the devastating impacts to both domestic animals and wildlife. People are bringing parched koalas into her office.
“Most of [the koalas] we don’t see. Most of them are just dead. They just can’t get away. The kangaroos. The platypuses. I think they’re all gone because their habitat is gone.”
DRINK UP: A cyclist in Australia let an extremely thirsty koala climb up on her bicycle and drink from her water bottle, as a heatwave gripped parts of the country. https://t.co/q2KPSCMaeMpic.twitter.com/azTIxVlvLH
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.