Why Australia’s fires are linked to floods in Africa

Fires are normal in Australia. This year was off the charts. Correction: A previous version of this video had the date January 7, 2019 at 0:11 and sourced the Department of Western Australia at 0:24. It has been corrected to January 7, 2020 and the Government of Western Australia. The current version also corrects an error at 2:10 and 2:29 where our voiceover mixed up East and West. -- Australia’s recent fire season has been hellish with no end in sight. At least 17.9 million acres have burned, 28 people have died, and an estimated 1 billion animals have been lost. But while Australia burns, East Africa has been grappling with record-breaking rainfall leading to catastrophic floods. Both have a common cause — and it lies in the Indian Ocean. Want to help? Here are some organizations that are collecting donations that could use your support: The New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Country Fire Service Foundation, and Country Fire Authority: