THE AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE AND HOW YOU CAN HELP!

The fires we had in some parts of Victoria on saturday were totally devastating!

The death toll is up to 230 now and over 1000 houses were destroyed, let alone the damage done to nature and wildlife!

The DUST team(Down Under Street Team) on etsy set up the OzBushfireAppeal shop to raise money to donate to the Bushfire Appeal of the Redcross.

I want to Thank everyone who helped setting up this shop and is raising awareness about this issue and all the people who donated items and bought items from it! Thank You!

So far we raised about 5.000Aus$!

If u want u can go to the shop and purchase or donate something!

U can also donate directly to the red cross fire appeal,

to Wildlife Victoria , or to the RSPCA who are taking care of injured wildlife.

If u cant donate money, but want to help, u could donate 

blood, clothes and toiletries

or offer ur time as a Volunteer.

But Please BEWARE OF SCAMS!!

Bushfires in Australia are fairly common and a great risk for people, wildlife, nature and infrastructure.

This year was especially bad, because of drought and days in a row of 45C(113F).

Then on saturday, we had high temperatures up to 47C(117F), and very strong winds, which is like a hair dryer in ur face basically and makes fires, once they are started, move very fast.

How do these fires get started? I guess it just takes a little bit of inconsideration from one person, the flick of a cigarette butt, a barbeque, or even an electric saw to make the sparks fly, if that wasnt enough some of these fires are lit DELIBERATLEY!! Which i find extremely sickening and id call mass murder, coz those people know the consequences of their actions!

But i DO think these people deserve a fair trial and the whole circumstances a thourough investigation to make sure to get the right people!

Im german and i have to say that here, to make clear i dont have enough information about the history of bushfires and the education about them!

BUT, i do think education about fires, prevention, escape plans and options shud be hammered into every childs brain in school.

The government has to put more effort in education And also plans for evacuation, like they do in california for example! It shudnt be optional and taken lightly in extreme cases like this, people shud be more aware of the consquences of staying and the possibilities for defending their homes!

There has to be a better early warning system!

I Do hope, something like this doesnt happen ever again, at least that people are more prepared and a death toll like can be prevented!

But with the  change of climate and Australia getting hotter and sunrays becoming more cancerous every year, all we can do is take the BEST care of our environment we can, and be far more prepared and educated about situations like that!

Lets just take our thoughts to those people in need and do what we can to help them!

(picture courtesy of tredlightphotographs.etsy.com)