Though the nation’s drought and extreme heat are also to blame, authorities in Australia are zeroing in on a group of individuals they believe responsible for the catastrophic bushfires sweeping the nation.
The New South Wales Police have charged 24 individuals with intentionally starting the bushfires, and have also taken legal action against 183 people, 40 of which are juveniles, for a multitude of fire-related offenses, ranging in everything from failing to comply with a total fire ban to being accused of discarding a lit cigarette or match on land.
Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned by the fires, mostly bushlands, forests, and the nation’s national parks.
24 people have reportedly killed in the fires, and early half a billion animals have been affected by the fires, with millions potentially dead.
Via CNN