For The First Time Since July, There Are No Bushfires In New South Wales, Australia

For the first time in nearly six months, there are no more bushfires burning in New South Wales, Australia. The region has been plagued by wildfires since July 2019, which finally stopped on March 2, according to New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS).

That's more than 240 days of fire activity for the state, the fire service said on Twitter. Just a day before announcing the bushfires had ended, the NSW RFS warned residents that hot, dry weather could drive up fire danger.

The flames in the area were contained on February 13, according to NSW RFS, which tweeted that it has been a "traumatic, exhausting and anxious" bushfire season. Firefighters, who had been working to battle the flames for months, got some help from substantial rain in New South Wales in February.

The biggest city in the state, Sydney, saw its heaviest rainfall in 30 years. At the time, New South Wales deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said since the fires were contained, the attention could shift to helping people affected by the devastating fires.

At least 33 people died, including several firefighters, since the major blazes began in September. They also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and burned more than 26 million acres, according to The Associated Press. 

An estimated 1 billion animals were killed in the fires. Scientists say climate change is transforming Australia's environment, making it hotter and drier, and exposing it to longer, more intense fire seasons. 

In addition to the fires completely ending, rain should begin to fall in areas of Australia that need it most, NSW RFS wrote on Twitter. Western News South Wales could seen nearly four inches of rain over the next eight days, the Bureau of Meteorology, NSW, forecasts.

"The smiles are slowly getting bigger," NSW RFS wrote.

First published on March 3, 2020 / 11:35 AM

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