Photo : David Gray ( Getty Images )

As of Thursday morning, ongoing bushfires have continued to devastate Australia . At least 15 people have died, 17 are missing, and roughly ten million acres and one thousand homes have been destroyed in New South Wales, one of the hardest-hit states; it’s estimated at least 12 million acres have been burned nationwide. The fires have also ravaged the lands of national parks and impacted the air quality of major cities like Sydney.




Wildfires are typical in Australia , but severe drought and wind conditions, in addition to extreme heat, have resulted in an especially destructive outbreak of fires. Many of the firefighters are also volunteers. And with Austr alia just beginning its summer season, it’s unlikely the conditions will improve immediately. If you want to help those impacted by the ongoing fires, there are several ways to do so:

On behalf of three volunteer firefighters who were killed during this fire season, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service will accept donations towards their families. To donate, visit their website GoFundMe

The St. Vincent de Paul Society

The Salvation Army Emergency Services is currently providing meals to evacuees and frontline responders. To donate, visit their website


For local updates, Google has a crisis-map set up for the wildfires.

This post will be updated with more information on donation options as it becomes available.