CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos or videos on a mobile device
American firefighters are en route to Australia to help contain the several dozen blazes raging across the country, according to the Associated Press. The two nations share a history of dispatching firefighters to and from each amid natural disasters: Australia and New Zealand have been sending firefighters to the U.S. for more than 15 years, most recently in August 2018.
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which is mobilizing the California firefighters and other resources to help Australia during its worst wildfire season in decades, confirmed 138 firefighters from the two nations helped battle fires the year California battled the Camp Fire, the state’s deadliest blaze to date.
Meanwhile, AP and CNN compiled the latest figures on the fires:
- 136: Fires burning across New South Wales, a state in southeastern Australia
- 70: Number of those blazes not contained yet, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service
- 14.7 million: Number of acres burned across the country
- At least 24: Number of people who have died in this fire season
- 18: Number of people who died who are from New South Wales
- 3: Number of people who died who are from Victoria, a state in southern Australia
- 3: Number of people who died who are from South Australia, a state in south-central Australia
- 2: Number of people who are missing in New South Wales
- 2,000: Number of houses that have been destroyed so far in New South Wales
- 480 million: Number of animals that died across New South Wales
- One-third: Total amount of the koala population in New South Wales that has died in the fires
- One-third: Total amount of koala habitats in New South Wales that have been destroyed to date
- 2,700: Number of firefighters who were battling the blazes as of Jan. 5
- $1.4 billion: Amount of money committed to fight the fires by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
