A group of American firefighters was met with a round of applause when they arrived in Sydney, Australia, to help fight the bush fires that have consumed parts of the country.
Video from the airport showed dozens of firefighters lugging their gear off an airplane as their fellow travelers stood and clapped for their arrival. The group was sent to Australia as part of an international effort to put out wildfires that have ravaged vast swaths of the country, damaging property and killing millions of animals native to the Outback.
Shane Fitzsimmons, the commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, posted the video to Twitter, writing, “US fire fighters arrived at Sydney Int Airport this week, on their way to assist with fire fighting in Victoria. Coming through, all gathered gave a spontaneous & lengthy round of applause, reflecting the gratitude & admiration we all have for their generosity.”
US fire fighters arrived at Sydney Int Airport this week, on their way to assist with fire fighting in Victoria.
Coming through, all gathered gave a spontaneous & lengthy round of applause, reflecting the gratitude & admiration we all have for their generosity. #NSWRFS @NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/5epg5y4qxX— Shane Fitzsimmons (@RFSCommissioner) January 9, 2020
The blaze in Australia has claimed the lives of an estimated 500 million animals whose habitats have been destroyed in the fires. Of those animals, 1 in 3 of the world’s koalas were estimated to have been killed in the flames, prompting a massive effort to rescue the critters from the burning Outback.
A family set up a rescue of koalas on Kangaroo Island and brought them to neighbors, who they say have a permit to care for native wildlife. While one koala died on the way, the families say they’re “just trying to collect as many live ones as we can.” https://t.co/ZTarjHl8NR pic.twitter.com/M8IaQ6fJ5H
— ABC News (@ABC) January 7, 2020
Authorities have arrested dozens of individuals in connection to the flames, including on charges of arson and looting. At least 25 people have died because of the fires. Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged about $1.4 billion in aid to help rebuild when the fires are put out.
