Bushfires continued to burn dangerously out of control on Australia’s east coast on Saturday, fuelled by high temperatures and strong winds that had firefighters battling to save lives and property.
The worldwide swim community has responded with best wishes for the safety of all and small but significant acts of kindness such as that tweeted by Zoe Baker, the former world record holder turned coach and now back in Britain after having spent years in New Zealand.
Stars of sport and music are among those who have made generous donations to charities and emergency services coming to the rescue of the people and wildlife affected by the fires.
Authorities Down Under say the worst of catastrophic conditions is yet to come.
By early evening Australia time on Saturday, Victoria had 16 fires rated at emergency or evacuate warning levels and New South Wales (NSW) had 12 rated emergency, with more than 100 others burning across the states. New fires had started, and others had broken containment lines.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian told media at a briefing:
“We are in for a long night and we are still to hit the worst of it. It’s a very volatile situation.”
Authorities are worried the fires could turn out to be worse than those that raged on New Year’s Eve, burning massive tracts of bushland and forcing thousands of residents and Aussie summer holidaymakers to seek refuge on beaches.
Are you staging an event to raise donations to help Australians caught in the catastrophe on their doorstep? Let us know in comments or at editorial@swimmingworld.com.
Where and What to Donate To:
- Ian Hanson listed some relevant charities in his article yesterday, and The Sydney Morning Herald today runs this piece listing the relevant charities, what they do and how to donate.