Fire departments in Australia have announced their success in curbing the strongest "huge fire" the country has known that has remained for three months out of control, while rain is expected to start soon in the affected areas, while Environment Minister Susan Lee said that the koala will be classified in some areas as a kind Threatened with extinction.
New South Wales firefighters finally confirmed their success in combating the massive fire that was unabatedly devouring the mountainous area of Gospers, in Northeast Sydney's suburbs.
"We have nothing left but to finish this small area," said Shane Fitzsimons, director of the state's fire department in rural areas, during a visit to the region on Monday. "The expectations that it can contain seem promising," he said.
The fire in this national reserve eliminated an area equal to three times the area of Greater London, and caused other hotbeds of fire, to come on an area of eight thousand square kilometers in total in this region alone.
As residents and authorities deal on Monday with the scale of the damage caused by the disaster, the meteorology announced that it expects rains of up to fifty millimeters next week in the affected areas that will breathe that sigh of relief after months of drought.
Dozens of other fires were originally controlled in the country.
- The Queen and Alice Cooper Squad - The severe drought in Australia and climate change have exacerbated these fires, which have produced a major wave of solidarity around the world, with an influx of gifts to help affected populations and animals.
The Australian plant and animal wealth, which includes unparalleled species in the world, has been greatly affected. According to estimates, about a billion animals were killed by the fires, as well as the destruction of large plant areas of trees and shrubs.
Over the weekend, Sydney will host a fundraising event for firefighters, the Red Cross and wildlife.
Prominent personalities such as American rock singer Alice Cooper, British singer Olivia Newton-John, and the rock band Queen are participating.
- Political repercussions - The political repercussions of the crisis started to become more apparent.
According to an opinion poll published Monday, support for the policies of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has been under fire for his handling of the crisis, has fallen.
According to a poll conducted by the "Newspool" center, 59% of Australians are dissatisfied with the conservative prime minister, while 37% said they are satisfied with his performance, a fundamental change in public opinion since Morrison won the elections a month ago.
Morrison is under fire. He is accused, in particular, of failing to give clear answers about the causes of the devastating fires that started in early September.
He is especially critical of going on a vacation to Hawaii in December, committing a series of lapses, making false statements about what his government is doing and forcing victims to shake his hand.
Morrison stressed at the start of the crisis that local authorities have the means to combat it and that exhausted volunteer firefighters "want to do this job."
He also announced more than once that Australia was doing everything it could to reach greenhouse gas emissions targets. He also reiterated his support for the profitable but environmentally friendly coal sector.
The Australians have expressed their anger more than once with mass demonstrations.
In response to the protests, Morrison took measures such as deploying the army, mobilizing reserve elements and pledging to pay billions of dollars in aid.
Morrison decided to raise the allocation of firefighters' financial allocations, declaring that more needed to be done to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.