Australian fire crew survive being overrun by bush fire as wildfire crisis deepens
An Australian fire crew filmed their dramatic escape after being overrun by bush fire, as the wildfire crisis across the country deepens.There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel.
The death toll for animals in Australia continues to go up. The World Wildlife Fund in Australia estimates that as many as 1 .25 billion animals That figure excluded animals including bats, frogs and invertebrates. With these numbers included, Dickman said , it was “without any doubt at all” that
Now, he says that number has soared to over 800 million in New South Wales and over 1 billion nationally. dead in Australian wildfires 09.01.2020 [15:55] Last week, an ecologist at the University of Sydney estimated that nearly half a billion animals had been wiped out since Australia 's
Microsoft News US is supporting Microsoft News Australia in its campaign to help respond to the devastating bushfires that are ravaging the country. Together we are raising funds for Australian Red Cross, St Vincent De Paul Society and The Salvation Army. These organizations are helping communities across the country. You can help by donating here . For the latest news on this disaster from MSN Australia, visit Bushfire emergency.
The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are seen through smoke haze from bushfires as passengers ride a ferry in Sydney on Jan. 8.
Thousands flee Australia’s coastal towns as raging wildfires close in
A navy ship prepared to evacuate tourists and residents from one remote area, as authorities warned of potentially catastrophic conditions this weekend.Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping out after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by the fire, on Dec. 31.
Now, he says that number has soared to over 800 million in New South Wales and over 1 billion nationally. "I think there's nothing quite to compare "We know that Australian biodiversity has been going down over the last several decades, and it's probably fairly well known that Australia 's got the
Up to a billion animals across Australia could be impacted by the raging wildfires -- spelling trouble for the country's ecosystem and environments for years to come.
PIRSA veterinarian Angela Scott (c) assisted by Sally Selwood (SAVEM) and Phoebe Jones treat a koala for bushfire burns at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in the Parndana region on Jan. 8, on Kangaroo Island.
Local aboriginal man Anthony Thomas is seen at his uncle's property destroyed by bushfires in Kiah on Jan. 8.
Stay or Run? Dilemma for Those in Australia's 5,000-Square-Mile Wildfire 'Leave Zone'
For the 30 family and friends sheltering inside Anton’s beachside cafe, among them a 2-year-old girl and a pregnant woman, it came down to a show of hands. The vote was unanimous: stay put rather than flee amid the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Bags with masks, fresh drinking water and food were hastily put together and placed by the cafe door in case an encroaching fire forced everyone to dash for the beach some 50 meters (164 feet) away. A defibrillator was kept close to hand. Then came instructions on what to wear: head-to-foot clothing to prevent white-hot embers burning anyone forced to take refuge in the ocean.
Some 25,000 koalas feared dead on an island being consumed by flames. And claims that a whopping one billion animals estimated to have perished across Australia . The figures tallying the mass death of Australian critters have ricocheted around the internet, causing apprehension and grief.
More than 1 billion animals are estimated to have died in the devastating wildfires ravaging Australia , an expert said Wednesday. MORE: How to help support the Australian wildfires relief effort. Dickman, an ecologist, has more than 30 years of experience in the conservation and management of
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seen visiting the Defense Staging Ground at Kingscote Airport on Kangaroo Island, on Jan. 8.
The Kangaroo Wildlife Park positioned on the edge of the fire zone has been treating and housing close to 30 koalas a day. Almost 100 army reservists have arrived in Kangaroo Island to assist with clean up operations following the catastrophic bushfire that killed two people and burned more than 155,000 hectares (383,013 acres) on Kangaroo Island on Jan. 4. At least 56 homes were also destroyed. Bushfires continue to burn on the island, with firefighters pushing to contain the blaze before forecast strong winds and rising temperatures return.
Jane Brister, director of Adelaide Koala Rescue, is seen with Floyd, one of the first rescued koalas from the Cudlee Creek fires recovering in the outside pen at Paradise Primary School where Adelaide Koala Rescue have set up in the school's gymnasium on Jan. 8 in Adelaide.
Members of the South Australian Army Reserves and volunteers help clear land and build koala enclosures at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in Parndana on Jan. 8.
Aftermath of bushfires at Flinders Chase National Park in Kangaroo Island, on Jan. 7.
US sends additional support to Australia to help battle apocalyptic wildfires
Australia wildfires will now have additional fire personnel from the U.S. to help battle the blazes.Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Personnel, Jayden Mansfield, cross checks names of evacuees from Mallacoota board HMAS Choules in Victoria, on Jan. 3.
Experts have said that more than 1 billion animals may have died in Australian wildfires since It’s over 800 million given the extent of the fires now―in New South Wales alone,” he said . And according to Australian Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie, the wildfires are devastating the
Billions of animals are now believed to have been wiped out in the catastrophic Australian bushfires — with scientists also warning that at least one After warning last week that half a billion animals may have been lost, experts revised the death toll, saying the number is now believed to be in the
Volunteers help organize large donations of goods at the Food Bank Distribution Centre bound for areas impacted by bushfires on Jan. 7, in the Glendenning suburb of Sydney.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service crew members from Horsley Park RFS carry the casket of NSW RFS volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer during his funeral service in Horsley Park, Sydney, on Jan. 7.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service crew watch as the casket of NSW RFS volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer arrives for his funeral service in Horsley Park, Sydney, on Jan. 7.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) speaks during a press conference regarding the governments' bushfire response at Parliament House in Canberra, on Jan. 6.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian (L) is briefed by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (R) at the Rural Fire Service's (RFS) HQ in Sydney, on Jan. 6.
A convoy of Army vehicles, transporting up to 100 Army Reservists and self-sustainment supplies to Kangaroo Island, prepare to depart Keswick Barracks in Adelaide, on Jan. 6.
A kangaroo moves close to a residential area from bushland in Merimbula, New South Wales, on Jan. 6. Massive bushfires have flared up in the vast country's southeast in a months-long crisis, killing nearly half a billion native animals in New South Wales state alone, scientists estimate.
A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Jan. 6, in Wingello. Cooler conditions and light rain has provided some relief for firefighters in NSW who continue to battle bushfires across the state. Army Reserve forces and other specialist capabilities have been called in to help with firefighting efforts across Australia, along with extra Defence ships and helicopters. 14 people have now died in the fires in NSW, Victoria and South Australia since New Year's Eve.
Families with small children and babies are evacuated by air from Mallacoota Airport on Jan. 5, in Mallacoota. Many parents with young families were unable to get their children out on the evacuation because they only allowed school aged children and above to evacuate by boat.
A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk 'Romeo' Helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Jan. 5, in Sydney. HMAS Adelaide departed Sydney to assist with bushfire evacuations on the South Coast of New South Wales.
A plane flys into land in the tobacco coloured skies over Manukau city photographed from Totara Park on Jan. 5, in Auckland, New Zealand. The smoke has travelled from Australia, where hundreds of fires continue to burn across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons during an operational update at HMAS Albatross in Nowra, New South Wales, on Jan. 5.
Fire ripped through the valley near the farming hamlet of Wairewa, East Gippsland, destroying homes on Jan. 5. Brian Blakeman stayed and with his wife, saved their house. The surrounding buildings were destroyed.
Local resident Dave Iredale talks on his phone while standing amongst ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula, in New South Wales on Jan. 5.
Australian Army personnel are seen loading a CH-47 Chinook from the 5th Aviation Regiment before it deploys from Townsville on Jan. 5 in Townsville. The aircraft will provide support to firefighting operations, as well as provide humanitarian assistance to remote and isolated communities. New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are currently experiencing devastating bushfires, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing that army reservists were being called up to help with firefighting efforts, along with extra ships and helicopters.
An Australian army soldier helps people evacuate onto a Blackhawk helicopter on Jan. 5 in Omeo. One person has died overnight in Batlow and four firefighters were injured. A state of emergency is in place across NSW as firefighters battle 150 fires, 64 of which are uncontained.
Cars travel with their lights on as tobacco coloured skies over Auckland block out the sun on Jan. 5 in New Zealand. The smoke has travelled from Australia, where hundreds of fires continue to burn across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, with the Australian Defence Force now called in to help with firefighting and rescue efforts.
Residents commute on a road through thick smoke from bushfires in Bemboka on Jan. 5. Australians on January 5 counted the cost from a day of catastrophic bushfires that caused 'extensive damage' across swathes of the country and took the death toll from the long-running crisis to 24.
A resident walks away from her flood-damaged house in the bushfire-affected town of Cooma on Jan. 5. The fire crisis turned into a flood disaster in Cooma in inland southern New South Wales when a large tower carrying 4.5 million litres of water swept away cars and filled homes with mud.
Australian Army Reserve and Regular personnel gather during a roll call before departing the Holsworthy Barracks to support bushfire efforts across New South Wales, in Sydney, on Jan. 5.
People at a relief centre as the day turns to a blood red sky in Mallacoota with the South Westerly change sparking up fire activity in the area on Jan. 4 in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Players stand in a circle during a minutes silence for victims of the bushfire crisis during the Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Renegades on Jan. 4, in Melbourne.
Fire crews put out spot fires on Jan. 4, in Sarsfield.
Australia bushfires might burn for months, PM warns
Scott Morrison announces the creation of a recovery agency, amid fierce criticism of his response.Evacuees from Mallacoota, Victoria, are transported in MV Sycamore on Jan. 3.
Slideshow by Photo Services
The death toll for animals in Australia continues to go up.
The World Wildlife Fund in Australia estimates that as many as 1.25 billion animals may have been killed directly or indirectly from fires that have scorched Australia.
"The fires have been devastating for Australia’s wildlife and wild places, as massive areas of native bushland, forests and parks have been scorched," Stuart Blanch, an environmental scientist with the World Wildlife Fund in Australia, told USA TODAY. Many forests will take many decades to recover, he said.
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The fires, which have been blazing since September, have killed 26 people, destroyed 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the state of Maryland. They have been fueled by drought and the country’s hottest and driest year on record, and exacerbated by climate change.
Australian Aboriginal officials approve killing up to 10,000 feral camels
The new number of animals killed was calculated using methodology that estimates the impacts of land clearing on Australian wildlife and extrapolates upon the science of Chris Dickman from the University of Sydney.
Australia uses bushfires breather to plan for the next onslaught
More: Climate change has Australian wildfires 'running out of control,' experts say
Dickman told HuffPost that his original estimate of 480 million animals was not only conservative, it was also exclusive to the state of New South Wales and excluded significant groups of wildlife for which they had no population data.
That figure excluded animals including bats, frogs and invertebrates. With these numbers included, Dickman said, it was “without any doubt at all” that the losses exceed 1 billion. “Over a billion would be a very conservative figure,” he told HuffPost.
Blanch told USA TODAY that the loss includes thousands of precious koalas, along with other iconic species such as kangaroos, wallabies, gliders, potoroos, cockatoos and honeyeaters.
"There are estimates that up to 30% of koalas (as many as 8,400 koalas) may have perished during fires on the mid-north coast of New South Wales," Blanch said. "This is a devastating blow for a species already in decline due to ongoing excessive tree-clearing for agricultural and urban development, and pushes the species closer to becoming an endangered species.
"This has the potential to hasten koalas’ slide towards extinction in the wild in eastern Australia," Blanch warned.
Other species may also have tipped over the brink of extinction, he said.
Blanch added that "fires across Kangaroo Island in South Australia have been particularly devastating for wildlife: The severe loss of understory – the layer of vegetation under a forest – is a worry for the Kangaroo Island dunnart (a small, mouse-like creature) with some fearful the fires have pushed the species over the brink of extinction." A bird, the Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo, is also close to extinction and will need an immediate assessment when it’s safe to do so.
Fires have also burned through critical habitat of native Australian mammals such as the long-footed potoroo, the mountain pygmy possum, the yellow-bellied glider and the brush-tailed rock wallaby, and bird species such as the critically endangered regent honeyeater, according to the World Wildlife Fund in Australia.
Until the fires subside, the full extent of damage will remain unknown.
Australia, unfortunately, is no stranger to extinction: Some 34 species and subspecies of native mammals have become extinct in Australia over the past 200 years, the highest rate of loss for any region in the world, Dickman said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Over 1 billion animals feared dead in Australian wildfires, experts say
Photos: Animals at risk in Australian bushfires .
As many as half a billion animals, including pets and livestock, may have been killed in Australia's wildfires, according to experts, with potentially hundreds of thousands of injured and displaced native wildlife.
Topical videos:
Australia's wildlife decimated by wildfires
화염 속 죽어간 캥거루ㆍ코알라… 호주 산불 비극에 나선 전세계 손길 Devastating wildfires in Australia have been wiping out some of the country's unique wildlife.
Australia fires: Horrifying footage shows charred remains of animals in New South Wales
Subscribe to the Evening Standard on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7RQon_YwCnp_LbPtEwW65w?sub_confirmation=1 This horrific video ...
Australian fires : Over 1 billion animals feared dead , experts say
The death toll for animals in Australia continues to go up. The World Wildlife Fund in Australia estimates that as many as 1 .25 billion animals That figure excluded animals including bats, frogs and invertebrates. With these numbers included, Dickman said , it was “without any doubt at all” that
www.usatoday.com
Over 1 billion animals feared dead in Australian wildfires - YouTube
Now, he says that number has soared to over 800 million in New South Wales and over 1 billion nationally. dead in Australian wildfires 09.01.2020 [15:55] Last week, an ecologist at the University of Sydney estimated that nearly half a billion animals had been wiped out since Australia 's
www.youtube.com
Over 1 billion animals feared dead in Australian wildfires
Now, he says that number has soared to over 800 million in New South Wales and over 1 billion nationally. "I think there's nothing quite to compare "We know that Australian biodiversity has been going down over the last several decades, and it's probably fairly well known that Australia 's got the
www.cbsnews.com
Millions of animals are dying from the Australian wildfires - CNN
Up to a billion animals across Australia could be impacted by the raging wildfires -- spelling trouble for the country's ecosystem and environments for years to come.
How Many Animals Have Died in Australia ’s Wildfires ?
Some 25,000 koalas feared dead on an island being consumed by flames. And claims that a whopping one billion animals estimated to have perished across Australia . The figures tallying the mass death of Australian critters have ricocheted around the internet, causing apprehension and grief.
More than 1 billion animals estimated dead in Australia wildfires
More than 1 billion animals are estimated to have died in the devastating wildfires ravaging Australia , an expert said Wednesday. MORE: How to help support the Australian wildfires relief effort. Dickman, an ecologist, has more than 30 years of experience in the conservation and management of
1 Billion Animals Now Estimated Dead in Australia ’s Wildfires
Experts have said that more than 1 billion animals may have died in Australian wildfires since It’s over 800 million given the extent of the fires now―in New South Wales alone,” he said . And according to Australian Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie, the wildfires are devastating the
' Billions ' of animals feared dead in Australian bushfires
Billions of animals are now believed to have been wiped out in the catastrophic Australian bushfires — with scientists also warning that at least one After warning last week that half a billion animals may have been lost, experts revised the death toll, saying the number is now believed to be in the
An Australian fire crew filmed their dramatic escape after being overrun by bush fire, as the wildfire crisis across the country deepens.There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. 
A navy ship prepared to evacuate tourists and residents from one remote area, as authorities warned of potentially catastrophic conditions this weekend.Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping out after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by the fire, on Dec. 31.
A navy ship prepared to evacuate tourists and residents from one remote area, as authorities warned of potentially catastrophic conditions this weekend.Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping out after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by the fire, on Dec. 31. 
For the 30 family and friends sheltering inside Anton’s beachside cafe, among them a 2-year-old girl and a pregnant woman, it came down to a show of hands. The vote was unanimous: stay put rather than flee amid the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Bags with masks, fresh drinking water and food were hastily put together and placed by the cafe door in case an encroaching fire forced everyone to dash for the beach some 50 meters (164 feet) away. A defibrillator was kept close to hand. Then came instructions on what to wear: head-to-foot clothing to prevent white-hot embers burning anyone forced to take refuge in the ocean. 
Australia wildfires will now have additional fire personnel from the U.S. to help battle the blazes.Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Personnel, Jayden Mansfield, cross checks names of evacuees from Mallacoota board HMAS Choules in Victoria, on Jan. 3. 
![Slide 28 of 67: TOPSHOT - A woodchip mill burnt by bushfires is seen as smoke rises in Quaama in Australia's New South Wales state on January 6, 2020. - Reserve troops were deployed to fire-ravaged regions across three Australian states on January 6 after a torrid weekend that turned swathes of land into smouldering, blackened hellscapes. (Photo by SAEED KHAN / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by SAEED KHAN has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Quaama] instead of [Eden]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)](/upload/images/real/2020/01/09/slide-28-of-67-topshot-a-woodchip-mill-burnt-by-bushfires-is-seen-as-smoke-rises-in-quaama-in-austra_592049_.jpg?content=1 "Australia Wildfire - Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images")
Scott Morrison announces the creation of a recovery agency, amid fierce criticism of his response.Evacuees from Mallacoota, Victoria, are transported in MV Sycamore on Jan. 3. 
Australian officials used a respite on Monday from fierce wildfires that have killed 25 people across the country's southeast to race to reopen blocked roads and evacuate people who have been trapped for days .A second day of light rain and cool winds brought some relief from heatwave-fueled blazes that ripped through two states over the weekend, but officials warned the hazardous weather conditions were expected to return later in the week. 1/50 SLIDES © Brett Hemmings/Getty Images A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Jan. 6, in Wingello. 
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