2019–20 Australian Bushfire Season

Australia is a huge island country way down south. In the summer of 2019-2020, it had a super long and very hot fire season. These weren't just small campfires; they were giant bushfires that burned for months!

They started early, in June 2019, and didn't stop until March 2020. The biggest and scariest fires happened when it was hottest, from December to January. It was a time called the 'Black Summer' because it was so dark from the smoke.

These fires were HUGE! They burned an area so big it's hard to imagine. Think about your school playground – now imagine fires burning an area bigger than many, many playgrounds put together!

The fires burned land that's about 240,000 square kilometers. That's like burning more than 34 million soccer fields! Sadly, over 3,000 homes were destroyed, and many people and animals were hurt or lost their homes.

The smoke from these fires was so thick and went so high up into the sky that it traveled all the way around the world! It even went over the ocean and made the air smoky in places very, very far away from Australia. This smoke made the air quality really bad, like breathing in yucky air, and it made many people sick. It was a big reminder of how connected our planet is.

When the fires were at their worst, people from all over Australia and even from other countries like Canada and the United States came to help. They used planes, helicopters, and fire trucks to fight the fires and help people. Sadly, some brave helpers lost their lives during these rescue missions. People also donated lots of money, food, and clothes to help those who lost everything.