New South Wales, Australia, has endured more than 240 days of deadly bushfires. For the first time since July 2019, fire officials report that there are no active bush or grass fires across the entirety of the state.
CNN reports that the months of bushfires have heavily impacted the state of New South Wales, with 28 deaths, approximately 3,000 homes burned and as many as one billion animals impacted.
There have reportedly been 27.2 million acres blazed in every state across the continent this bushfire season. Southeastern states Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales underwent the most dangerous conditions, especially New South Wales, home to Sydney and Byron Bay.
The fire service's deputy commissioner Rob Rogers called the time "a truly devastating fire season for both firefighters and residents, who've suffered through so much this season."
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Thousands of firefighters coupled with heavy rainfall helped contain the fires last February.
"This is the most positive news we've had in a long time," the fire service shared February 9. "The recent rainfall has assisted firefighters to put over 30 fires out since Friday. Some of these blazes have been burning for weeks and even months."
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Fire season occurs every summer in southeastern Australia, starting around July or August.
Australian officials warn that due to climate change, Australia will continue to experience a more dangerous fire season according to reports by The Bureau of Meteorology. Bushfires, drought and affected weather patterns combined make for dangerous conditions.
"There has been a long-term increase in extreme fire weather, and in the length of the fire season, across large parts of Australia...Although there is considerable interannual variability in the index, there is also a clear trend in more recent decades towards a greater number of very high fire weather days in spring." —State of the Climate report
Citizens are relieved though that thanks to the continued rainfall, they have a reprieve from the fires as cooler months are on the way.
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