Australia is being ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades, with large swathes of the country devastated since the fire season began in late July.
A total of 24 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales (NSW) alone, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged.
State and federal authorities are struggling to contain the massive blazes, even with firefighting assistance from other countries, including the United States.
All this has been exacerbated by persistent heat and drought, and many point to climate change as a factor making natural disasters go from bad to worse.
Nearly half a billion native animals are estimated to have perished in bush fires in New South Wales, the Australian state most affected by the ongoing disastrous fires, and where this image was captured.
The total number of animals killed is likely to be much higher across the country, where conflagrations have been burning in multiple states since September.
The fires have so far burnt through at least six million hectares of land more than twice the size of Belgium across five states. In three states alone New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia fires have claimed at least 24 human lives and destroyed more than 1,800 homes.
The scale of the disaster prompted the federal government to call on the country’s defence forces to help fire-affected communities.
On 3 January, residents of coastal towns in New South Wales and Victoria were told to leave ahead of worsening conditions, leading to one of the country’s largest mass evacuations on record.
English 
Spanish