Wildfires are continuing to spread across Australia, with the country’s government pledging to pay “whatever it takes” to help people and wildlife recover.
The latest fire map shows while there are more fires less than 12 hours old, most of them are currently “under control.” Rain and cooler temperatures will reduce the risk of fire spread today. However, it is expected the temperatures will rise.
In a Facebook post, a map of Australia’s fires is juxtaposed with a map of the United States, revealing just how massive the inferno is.
According to the side-by-side analysis, if the same inferno sparked in the United States, dozens of states from coast to coast would be burning. Hundreds of cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Washington D.C. would be under fire. The fatal wildfires sparked in September, burning over 12 million acres of land, scorching over 1,500 homes and killing over 20 people.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service reported 146 fires burning across the state with 65 uncontained as of Sunday, according to their Twitter post.