Disaster Update: Australia fire toll on the rise

Yesterday we told you about the bush fires that have laid waste to thousands of acres in Victoria, Australia. Today, there are reports from Australia that the death toll could exceed 200 and top officials asked for patients, reminding citizens that it will take months to identify the bodies and to determine whether arsonists were responsible for the blaze.

So far, there are 181 confirmed dead and over 50 people still reported as missing.

Although a special agency has already been set up to see to the reconstruction of the towns and villages that the fire destroyed, officials have been criticized for not notifying residents of the danger sooner or for requiring that people evacuate high-risk towns. Many people from those towns say there was no time for an orderly evacuation and that homes collapsed in just a few minutes.

Hundreds of firefighters continue to battle two dozen wildfires still burning out of control and Australians are hoping that the weather will not heat back up to the 116 degree temps recorded over the weekend, because extreme heat only makes fighting the fires tougher.

The is working with the Australian government to provide aid and now’s the time to see what you can do to help out with disaster response and relief efforts around the world.

Ready to act? Apply for a disaster grant!