The Guardian – “Bushfires have swept large parts of Australia since October, leaving more than 20 people dead, destroying thousands of homes and devastating wildlife. Unprecedented bushfires continue to ravage south-east Australia, with at least 24 people confirmed dead so far and almost 2,000 homes destroyed. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in New South Wales and Victoria, in some cases only with help from the Australian navy…The fires have had catastrophic effects on the local wildlife, killing millions of animals and threatening the survival of entire species. Smoke plumes posed a significant health threat even to those living miles away, as the wind carried heavily polluted air to Sydney and Canberra, and as far as New Zealand. Wildfire smoke contains poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide and fine particles known as PM2.5 which pass through the lungs and can harm virtually every organ in the human body. A monitoring site in the Monash suburb of Canberra measured an air quality index of 5,185 on Friday, more than 20 times the level that is considered hazardous…”