An island on fire: NASA satellite image reveals the true scale of bushfire devastation on Kangaroo Island
- Two NASA satellite images have highlighted the bushfires devastating impact
- A third of Kangaroo Island is been burnt, with two emergency warnings in place
- Around 155,000 hectares of the island have burnt, killing around 25,000 koalas
- The army and wildlife rescuers are on the island to collect any injured animals
- Smoke from the bushfires has stretched to New Zealand, Chile and Argentina
A satellite image taken by NASA has revealed just how devastating the bushfires have been on Australia’s Kangaroo Island.
The space agency released two satellite images of the South Australian island highlighting the horrific damage the bushfires have caused to the environment.
The first image was taken on December 16, showing the lush green landscape before the wild fires began on December 20.
The second image was taken on Tuesday, showing a third of the island burnt with some areas still on fire, including an out of control blaze in Flinders Chase National Park.
There are currently two emergency warnings in place on the island, in Vivonne Bay and Pandana, after fires crossed their containment lines.
A NASA satellite image showing the lush green landscape of Kangaroo Island on December 16
The second image taken on Tuesday, highlighting the devastating impact the fires have had on the island
A wildlife rescuer carrying a koala with burnt hands and feet near Cape Bouda on Kangaroo Island
A dead koala in the desolate landscape of Kangaroo Island on Tuesday
A series of raging fires have scorched around 155,000 hectares of the island, killing around 25,000 koalas – half the population of the animal in the area.
The Army is working hard on Kangaroo Island to help farmers deal with dead livestock, clear roads and recover injured wildlife.
There are 120 soldiers on the island and that figure is set to grow to 600 over the next few days.
The ADF has released a video showing Army vets and reservists helping injured koalas to recover from savage burns and feed rescued kangaroos.
The Army is working hard in Kangaroo Island to help farmers deal with dead livestock, clear roads and recover injured wildlife. Pictured: A soldier nurses a kangaroo
Vision from inside a truck watching a wild fire flare up on Kangaroo Island
Soldiers have also been helping fire crews prepare for another dangerous fire day by bringing in heavy machinery to bolster containment lines.
A big focus so far has been restoring water supplies with a portable treatment plant flown in to do the work of infrastructure damaged in Friday’s blaze.
Islanders have been asked to restrict water use to essential needs after the plant near Parndana was knocked out of action.
Incredible images from the ground of the winding road through Flinders Chase National Park have revealed exactly how brutal the ferocious fires were.
Before and after pictures of the winding road through Flinders Chase National Park reveal exactly how brutal the ferocious fires were
A burnt out car surrounded by a blackened trees highlighting the destruction of the bushfires on Kangaroo Island
The road, which was once filled with lush greenery, has been left completely charred, with nothing but blackened branches remaining.
The stark contrast between the two images has been heartbreaking for many.
‘How f***ing devastating,’ one person wrote.
‘I’m so sad for my country and our beautiful wildlife,’ another person said.
‘I can’t even comprehend everything that has happened yet,’ wrote another.
Smoke from the fires has already made its way across the world with areas in New Zealand and South America seeing an eerie haze.
A thick haze of smoke blanketed the Tasman Glacier in New Zealand
Glaciers on New Zealand’s south island have been hit with ash and soot that has drifted across the Tasman Sea, while Santiago in Chile and Buenos Aires in Argentina have had poor air quality from the floating smoke.
Experts from the European Union’s Copernicus program said that 400 megatonnes of carbon dioxide and other pollutants have been emitted into the atmosphere form the fires.