By Perry Worthey
The Australian bushfires have been a major topic of concern for some time now and they are expected to go on for weeks. I just returned from a semester abroad in Sydney, Australia and I was able to see firsthand how the fires impacted the surrounding area. For those who may not know, the “bush” is what Australians and New Zealanders call the scrubs and grassland areas. Bushfires can be started by natural occurrences such as lightning strikes or human occurrences such as poor wilderness safety and arson.
During my time abroad, I lived on campus at the University of New South Wales. I would visit the city daily, go to one of the several beaches or visit nature trails. One day, the air became so engulfed in smoke that none of these activities were an option. I had known about the fires before, but I had no idea that it was so close to the city until it made the locals change their daily habits. The smoke from the intense fires would be blown into the city and fill the air with gray smoke that blanketed the skyline. At times, the sky looked as if there was an apocalypse pending. The sun was completely smothered by the thick layer of smoke and it seemed like something straight out of a horror movie.
After talking to a few Australians who lived in the area their entire lives, I was taken aback by the responses I received. I often talked to Alan, the Dean of The University of New South Wales, who has lived in New South Wales for more than 30 years. In one conversation he told me, “I’ve never seen it this bad, this early.” Hearing this from an Australian was a little concerning. He told me that bushfires are common at this time of the year, however they would not occur until the middle and end of the season, which is the time that Australia gets brutally hot. He described it as “unusual” and “concerning” considering that Australia is already facing a drought on top of the fires. Other friends of mine described the air as harsh and unbreathable, and I echoed those sentiments. It was often really hard to breathe and whenever I would go outside, I would make sure that I had a face mask covering my face. Another friend said, “It’s like smoking 10 cigarettes at a time.” Most days, it was blue and sunny, but when the smoke came in, it was a completely different place. I think the scariest part of this all is the wildlife that was being utterly demolished, especially the koala bears with their homes being destroyed. I had the fortunate opportunity to go to an animal sanctuary and interact with, feed and be around actual koala bears. These are some of the most insanely adorable creatures on this planet and they are functionally extinct. A huge part of this is attributed to the fires.
Thankfully, there are several efforts to help the brave people fighting these insane fires. Homes, lives and habitats are all being affected. I personally got to see how amazing Australia and its land is. I understand that this is not a privilege everyone has a chance to get. But, if you would like to help, there are ways such as spreading awareness on social media platforms and donating to different organizations designated to this effort. Australia is one of the best places I have ever been to and I hope this massive fire does not destroy the landscape forever.