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The fires in Australia have already destroyed an area equivalent to twice Belgium and have caused 24 deaths, including three fire soldiers. Reuters

Forest fires in Australia have killed 24 people and destroyed more than 5.25 million hectares since September. The Australian government has mobilized army reservists to assist firefighters. Canada and the United States have already deployed personnel to assist the Australians, and Emmanuel Macron has also offered immediate operational support.

In Australia, the fires are still just as intense . The government has announced the largest mobilization of army reservists, using 3,000 people who have deployed to the East Coast. Their mission: to help assess the damage, restore electricity and distribute food aid or fuel to the disaster areas. For the first time in Australian history, the government has also deployed its medical aid team to assist with evacuations. This is normally used in foreign countries affected by natural disasters.

International aid is coming

The United States and Canada sent firefighters to help fight the flames, and France also offered " immediate operational assistance ."

Solidarity with the Australian people in the face of the fires ravaging their country. This morning, I called @ScottMorrisonMP to offer our immediate operational assistance to fight fires, protect people and preserve biodiversity.

Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 5, 2020

After a catastrophic Saturday where record temperatures and strong winds have fueled the hundreds of blazes, the weather offers this Monday, January 6 a slight respite for firefighters. Precipitation and a relative drop in temperatures are forecast. But the authorities are getting the message across: the crisis is far from over.

Funds for Australia

Faced with growing criticism of his management of the crisis and his poor record in the fight against global warming, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is trying to catch up. He pledged to create a national fund to help the victims of these fires with 1.2 billion euros taken from tax revenue.

In addition, many celebrities are getting involved and have raised millions of dollars to support firefighters and affected communities. Among them, the Australian actress Nicole Kidman, the American singer Pink, or even the world number 1 of tennis, the Australian Ashleigh Barty, holder of the title at Roland-Garros. The latter announced that it would donate to the Red Cross its winnings from the Brisbane tournament to help the victims of the fires.