The ongoing Australian wildfires have brought support from around the world, as celebrities continue to show their support for its residents, wildlife, and the overall economy. Rihanna shared a dramatic image on her Instagram, illustrating the mass devastation of the wildfires.
Presently, the fires have burned nearly 12 million acres of land, killing 24 and destroying nearly 2,000 homes according to NBC News. World Wide Fund For Nature-Australia also estimates the fires caused the death of 500 million animals.
“It’s really shocking and really horrible and as much as I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ climate scientists have been warning about this for a very long time — especially in Australia,” said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, said to NBC. “We knew that if we have drought and a heatwave, the whole country is a tinderbox. We knew it was going to happen.”
The gravity of the fires led to massive efforts in the Facebook fundraising space, where nearly a million people came together to raise more than $26 million for The Trustee For NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund. While WIRES Wildlife Rescue and The Trustee For Country Fire Authority & Brigades Donations Fund were able to raise $3 million and $1 million respectively.
A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed the effort became the most successful fundraiser in the history of the platform in an email to NBC.
While Australia struggles with the massive fires, some have criticized Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for comments that seemingly downplayed the role of climate change on the current fires. Morrison has since come out disputing that characterization, announcing his acceptance of climate change.
"There is no dispute in this country about the issue of climate change globally and its effect on global weather patterns and that includes how it impacts in Australia," he said according to the NBC report. “I have to correct the record here. I have seen a number of people suggest that somehow the government does not make this connection. The government has always made this connection and that has never been in dispute.”
As of Monday, there were 136 active fires, according to CNN.
