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Donations to Australian Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund and Community Firefighters Are the Best Way to Help Bushfire Relief

As bushfires rage across Australia, it’s easy to feel helpless after watching the widespread destruction of communities, natural habitats and the devastating loss of life. However, there are ways that you can help alleviate the effects of this natural disaster.

Fires have been burning throughout Australia since September, only growing stronger during the country's hottest and driest year on record. The number of fires seemed to explode as the new year approached, with as many as 70 roaring fires still burning bright. With warmer weather looming over the region for the foreseeable future, it's expected that fires will continue to burn for the next few months.

RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Donates $1 Million to Australian Bushfire Relief

So how can you, a human on the other side of the planet, possibly help? The most helpful answer is to follow in the footsteps of local celebrities who have donated the most in-demand resource (money) to the cause. You may not be able to give millions like they have, but any little bit helps, and there are plenty of reputable organizations where you can donate.

The Australian Red Cross, for example, is assisting tens of thousands of displaced people in evacuation centers and recovery hubs across the country. Donations support emergency assistance in the most devastated areas, aid victims with relief supplies and help communities prepare for the future with training, equipment and coordination of volunteers.

If you're hoping to funnel your monetary contributions to the hardest-hit areas of Australia, Victoria and New South Wales along the southeast coast are definitely it. To help the tireless firefighters who are actively working to save their communities from further destruction, donations can be made directly to the fire departments in these states — many of which are volunteer based — through their official government websites: Victoria County Fire Authority (CFA) and NSW Rural Fire Service.

To help support the families of firefighters who have been killed while fighting these fires, the NSW Rural Fire Service has also set up a separate donation area. Similarly, the Victorian government has established the Victorian Bushfire Appeal, a partnership with Bendigo Bank and The Salvation Army that will pass along 100 percent of donated funds to its communities in need of relief.

The Australian bushfires have not only taken the lives of dozens of people so far, but have also destroyed over 15 million acres and caused the loss of a staggering amount of wildlife, now estimated to be over one billion. The Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc. (WIRES) is helping to rescue (and ultimately rehabilitate) the affected animals that remain. 

"With the fires destroying unprecedented amounts of habitat, food shortages have increased and lack of suitable habitat will be a significant long-term challenge for surviving wildlife,” WIRES states on their website.

To help Australian wildlife now and well into the future, WIRES has made it incredibly easy to donate through several avenues, including PayPal.

The World Wildlife Fund has also made an appeal to save the koalas, already headed toward extinction before these fires. To help WWF care for injured Australian wildlife and plant 10,000 native trees in critical koala habitats once the fires die down, donate directly to their restorative efforts here. However, if you prefer to donate through Humane Society International, they've teamed up with HSI/Australia to raise funds for both the immediate and future needs of affected wildlife, including food, water and safe habit construction.

Whether you're local to Australia or have the means to travel there, you may be tempted to offer your time rather than your money. Before you jump in and join the fight against these powerful blazes (like these American heroes), know that most emergency response organizations require a designated amount of training before you can volunteer, so it's best to do a little research before you take that leap. 

No matter how you decide to contribute, just remember that every little bit of help that you can offer makes an impact to alleviate the suffering in the land down under.

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Ashley Keegan, Khareem Sudlow