fire

In case anyone was still waiting for an April disaster to happen, perhaps this is it! 

For anyone not yet in the know, forest fires began burning on April 4th in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine. The fires came dangerously close to the site of the infamous Chernobyl disaster of 1986, and have released radioactive contamination into the air. The good news is that the fires have been contained, although the area has since been deemed the most polluted in the world. 

What else could go wrong in 2020!

Fans of the British TV series The IT Crowd will enjoy these dank memes, which are from a 2006 episode in which Maurice Moss attempts to put out a fire, only to have his fire extinguisher catch fire in the process. We like to think of it as a metaphor for all the horrible sh*t going on in the world right now. 

Alright, enough with the negativity; scroll down, and then click here for even more dank content!

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak and in perfect timing in case you needed reminding of the good in the world, comes this good news from Australia. 

Following the devastating bushfires of the 2019-2020 "Black Summer", during which more than 12.6 million hectares of land were scorched, 33 lives were lost and more than 1 billion were animals killed in the blazes, the positive headlines are focusing on the Koalas.     

One of the areas that were hit the hardest was the koala habitats in the mid-north coast region of NSW. According to Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, up to 30% of koalas in this region were killed during the bushfires and many more were hospitalized.

Now, five months on, the endangered critters are finally returning home. 

26 koalas will be released over the next few days, with habitats having recovered much earlier than expected due to significant rainfall in the mid-north coast area.

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. 

Three Snowy Mountain Koalas, who were rescued from the Australia wildfire crisis, have been named after American firefighters who were tragically killed in the region. 

Two Thumbs Wildlife Trust Koala Sanctuary have named the koalas, and the trio are now in the temporary care of Australian National University (ANU).

Dr Karen Ford, an ANU researcher and who is running the makeshift hospital at ANU, said in a university statement, "We have 11 koalas at ANU that have come in from the various fire grounds in the region.They just keep arriving. There is nowhere else that has the facilities to hold these animals or this many at the moment."

Ford also mentioned that a couple of the koalas are being treated for burns, while the others are "quite skinny" from malnutrition, due to their habitats being completely burnt. 

Koalas are known to breed so slowly that it could take 100 years for the population to rebuild — so saving just one is crucial. That is why the koalas have been a central focus of relief efforts as the blaze spreads across the region.

Story via CBS News

The Rescue Collective organization in Australia is going through some tough weeks since the devastating fires started in Australia. Yesterday, they posted a Survivor update: "it's been a tough week. So so so much loss. So much still to lose. Despite the heartache we are feeling as a country, we need to celebrate the small wins. Warm your heart with photos from some of the survivors you are supporting".  These people are our heroes! 

 A water tanker driver in the fires zone in Australia got an unexpected cab mate who he called: "Ray of sunshine after nightmare"

Story via: Sydney Morning Herald

An apocalyptic blood-red sky looms over Australian as the fires rage on. 

One Twitter user, Dr. Bodie Ashton, has gone in-depth on how truly devastating this crisis is, mapping it out for those outside, or even in a different part of Australia and cannot fully comprehend the severity of it all. 

It's been a rocky start to 2020, we can only hope this isn't a set-tone for the rest of the year. 

We continue to pray for Australia during these hard times. 

The horrific brushfires in Southern Australia are still raging on — displacing thousands of people, wiping out millions of acres, destroying hundreds of homes and killing almost half a billion total mammals, birds and reptiles, since it sparked in September.
With strong winds and high temperatures expected to come in, officials are warning residents that they could create incredibly dangerous conditions — even worse than past weeks. 

With all these horrifying outcomes, you may be wondering how you can help. 

So here are some wildlife charities and organizations you can show your love and donate to during this devastating time.   

We're positive Steve himself would be BEYOND proud of how hard his family is working to save the animals from this devastating fire in Australia. 

The fire in Australia has taken so much wildlife with it's destruction. However, not all hope is lost. Hope can be found in the Irwin name, where it can always be found. 

The legendary "Crocodile Hunter" has quite the incredible family who have dedicated their lives to continuing the family legacy as "wildlife warriors." And they are certainly living up to it. 

Thousands of Australians have been stepping up to save their land, whether that be volunteering to confront the waves of fire, donating to animal hospitals and charities, or working nonstop to mitigate the effects of the disaster. And among these incredible Australias is Bindi Irwin, Steve Irwin's daughter.

Story via TheMindUnleashed

Devastating bushfires in Australia have killed eighteen people (nine since Christmas Day) and 480 million animals. The fires, which are burning large swathes of land in New South Wales and Victoria, is even predicted to have caused a massive decline in the koala population. While most people with access to the internet or television is aware of the tragic fires, not everyone truly understands the magnitude of the flames that have resulted in massive evacuations in the afflicted states. Twitter user 

Twitter is in tears after a video of a woman rescuing a badly burnt and wailing koala from a bushfire went viral. The koala was spotted crossing a road amongst the flames when a local woman, who told Nine News her name was Toni, rushed to the koala's aid, wrapping the animal in her shirt and pouring water over it. Toni then transported the injured koala to the nearby Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, a facility that is treating up to 15 affected koalas.