Before and after photos taken in Australia bring to light the extent of the devastation caused by a bushfire on Kangaroo Island.
The blaze swept across the small island, located off the coast of South Australia, on Friday, January 3, destroying more than 50 homes and claiming the lives of two people, as well as more than 20,000 koalas.
Recovery efforts are underway, though South Australian Emergency Services Minister Corey Wingard has said the state’s firefighters are bracing for the fire to flare up again in the upcoming hot weather.
More than 160,000 hectares of the island were devastated by the fire, and the formerly luscious, green Flinders Chase National Park is now a barren, charred expanse of land.
Eye-opening photos show exactly how much damage the fire did to the beautiful island, comparing recent photos with pitures taken by a man named Aaron Coleman in 2017.
Aaron’s image shows a long road bordered by vibrant greenery, which extends into the distance before disappearing among the trees.
Check it out below:
In comparison, images taken this week show the same road surrounded by black, leafless trees, which stand on grey, desolate land for as far as the eye can see.
Take a look at the photos here:
As well as destroying homes, the fire wiped out an award-winning, million dollar luxury lodge located on the island. Images from the lodge’s website show the building in its former glory, but scenes captured by 7 News show how the fire destroyed it completely.
See the contrasting scenes below:
The lodge’s owners, James and Hayley Baillie, spoke to 7 News about the devastation, and said that while it is too early to estimate a reopening date, they plan to rebuild and ‘contribute to the economic and social recovery of the broader Kangaroo Island community’.
Firefighters on Kangaroo Island continue to work tirelessly to establish containment lines for the ongoing fire, but time is of the essence as hot and windy conditions, which could fuel the flames, are forecast for this Thursday, January 9.
South Australian Country Fire Service chief officer, Mark Jones, said 135 firefighters remain on the ground and more are on standby if conditions worsen later in the week, 9 News reports.
He admitted there is ‘still a large fire which is not controlled’, but said the workers were ‘well prepared’ for Thursday if there’s another outbreak.
Jones added:
The island is resilient and has started to rebuild, but the emergency period is not over.
If you want to donate to help those in South Australia, check out the government website here, or to support the volunteer firefighters in the area click here.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.