"Australia’s wildfires are burning an area larger than the size of Nova Scotia, size figures from officials show.
Fire services from New South Wales, Victoria and the country’s western region told Global News that Australia’s wildfires, which have been fuelled by persistent heat waves, one of the worst droughts the country has seen in decades and the effects of climate change, have collectively swelled to 8.4 million hectares over the course of the last five months, destroying more than 2,000 homes.
The death toll has risen to 24 people. Researchers estimate nearly 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have been affected by the wildfires in the state of New South Wales alone since September."
