A picture showing a Koala and a firefighter watching their forest burn together is going viral on Twitter. This image was taken by the Eden Hills Country Fire Service in South Australia and is drawing attention towards the bushfires that are raging outside every major city in Australia.
Because of global warming and the climate crisis, Australia’s forests are catching fire easily, Lesley Hughes, with the environmental group Climate Council of Australia told TIME.
When you have very hot, dry, windy conditions, if all of those things come together, a fire can get quickly out of control. As the climate is warming up, we’re getting more and more extreme hot days and currently, of course, Australia is in the grip of probably unprecedented heatwave conditions almost right across the continent.
-Lesley Hughes
The image has left Twitter users heartbroken about the concerning situation of the country and its wildlife.
With over 10,000 people’s homes and lives in danger, and firefighters lives at risk on the frontline, it is time to take notice of the gravity of the situation.