By FABIAN CHITAY
Staff Writer
Australia’s New South Wales and Queensland have endured months of bushfires since September. With nearly 100 wildfires burning and around 6.7 million acres torched, a toxic blanket of smog has settled over many parts of Australia, including Sydney. Several regions of the city have reported a score above 400 on the Air Quality Index, with a score below 50 being considered safe. Rozelle, a neighborhood in Sydney, reached over 2000 on the AQI. Many images have appeared online showing a thick brown haze over the city, and health officials have advised residents to stay inside as much as possible to avoid the air, which could have serious health effects; six people in New South Wales have died already.
While bush fires are common in Australia, the lack of rain and low humidity fuel the recent fires. Many experts warn that this fire is unprecedented and that the burning of certain areas can have severe environmental consequences. Australian bush fires typically end at the end of March, but it isn’t uncommon for conditions to extend past that. As New South Wales Fire Services try to hold back the fires, Australians are hoping for steady rain to help fight the bush fires.