Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is pledging $500,000 to help the victims of Australia's bushfire crisis. He's one of dozens of sports stars and celebrities to step up.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/L. Bruno
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British racing driver Lewis Hamilton announced Thursday he was donating $500,000 (€450,000) to "support the animals, wildlife volunteers and rural fire services" affected by Australia's bushfires.
"It breaks my heart to see the devastation the Australian bushfires are causing to people and animals across the country," Hamilton wrote on Twitter. "If you are able to, and you haven't already then you can donate too."
The unprecedented blazes have killed 26 people, destroyed 2,000 properties and burnt through some 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres). An estimated 1 billion animals have also lost their lives.
"My love of animals is no secret and I can't help but grieve for the defenseless animals thought to have died so far, pushing certain species closer to extinction," the six-time F1 world champion said, alongside a video of a koala being rescued from the flames.
Hamilton has become quite a vocal lobbyist on climate change of late, having gone vegan, launched his own plant-free burger range, and having sold his private jet last summer. Critics, however, point out that his sport isn't exactly known for being eco-friendly.
Despite plans to make F1 carbon neutral by 2030, it's still a sport that involves flying teams around the world to burn fuel on the racetrack.
Hats off to Warne
Meanwhile, former Australian cricketer Shane Warne put his famous baggy green cap up for auction which ended up fetching more than 1 million Australian dollars ($685,000) to aid those affected by the wildfires. The buyer was not named, however.
Legspin bowler Warne played 145 tests and claimed 708 wickets and the proceeds from the sale will go to the Australian Red Cross bushfire appeal.
Warne wrote on social media: "Thank you so much to everyone that placed a bid and a huge thank you/congrats to the successful bidder — you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations!"
Celebrities send in pledges
Hamilton and Warne are two among dozens of sports stars and celebrities to have made pledges to support firefighting efforts. Fellow F1 driver, Australia's Daniel Ricciardo, has also said he plans to auction his race suit and donate the proceeds to bushfire victims.
"My thoughts are with everyone who is suffering right now, and yes, it's time for us to act," he said on Instagram.
Nine Australians in the American NBA basketball league have offered $750,000 in donations to help their home country, while Australian tennis players Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios, as well as Australia's cricket team, have also pledged money.
In recent days other prominent Australians have made sizable contributions, including actors Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth and singer Kylie Minogue. Elton John and Pink have also pledged donations.
Australia's bushfire crisis began in September with no obvious end in sight as more hot weather is forecast for the coming days.
Bushfires ravage Australia
Australia is grappling with its worst bushfire season to date. The nation has been forced to reckon with a rising death toll, mass evacuations and suffering animal populations.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Davey
Widespread devastation
Massive bushfires have devastated Australia as the blazes continue to rage across the country. Since the start of one of the worst fire seasons on record, more than 2,500 homes have been burned, tens of thousands of people evacuated, and at least 29 killed. Here, a photographer reacts to seeing the burnt-out remains of a relative's home in Quaama, New South Wales.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Davey
Area the size of South Korea razed
As of January 17, fires have burnt roughly 10 million hectares (25 million acres) of land, an area larger than South Korea or Portugal. More than 170 fires continue to burn in Victoria state and New South Wales. There were 82 fires burning across New South Wales, 30 uncontained, and several fires in Victoria, according to fire authorities.
Image: Imago/B. Xuefei
Battling the blazes
Firefighters protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales, on December 30. Wildfires burning across four Australian states that day destroyed hundreds of properties and caused multiple fatalities. A volunteer firefighter was killed and three others were injured after strong winds pushed a fire truck over.
Image: picture-allianceAP/Twitter@NSWRFS
Red skies
A person stands in protective gear as nearby bushfires turn the sky red in Mallacoota, Victoria. Thousands of people in the coastal region were told to evacuate over the New Year period, while the Country Fire Authority later issued an ominous warning to residents still in the area that it was "too late to leave." Some 4,000 people spent New Year's Eve on the beach to avoid the flames.
An air tanker drops fire retardant over the Gospers Mountain fire near Colo Heights, northwest of Sydney, Australia on November 15, 2019. The Gospers Mountain fire originated in the Wollemi National Park, and came close to merging with other major fires in the area. Fires have torn apart the Blue Mountains, a popular tourist area, burning more than 500,000 hectares of land.
Image: Reuters/AAP/D. Lewins
Quick escape
A burnt bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo, near Sydney, on December 21, 2019. The town was hit with a catastrophic fire danger warning as fires turned several nearby homes to ashes. The New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency that same week.
Image: Getty Images/D. Gay
Toddler receives posthumous medal for firefighter father
Firefighters are among the 28 people who have lost their lives in the fires. Some were volunteers. Thirty-two-year-old Geoffrey Keaton, along with a colleague, died when a burnt tree fell in the path of their fire truck. Keaton's nineteen-month-old son Harvey was awarded one of the service's highest honors on behalf of his father on January 2.
Image: Reuters/NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Animals caught in the flames
A kangaroo that survived the bushfire in Wollemi National Park in Sydney grazes for food in November 2019. The fires have not only sparked concern over human well-being, but have also created worries over the survival of endangered and vulnerable animals. The fires have killed more than a billion animals across eastern and southern Australia.
Image: Imago Images/AAP/J. Piper
Economic toll
The Insurance Council of Australia said on January 7 that the bushfires have caused at least US$485 million (€435 million) in damage and that number was likely to rise. Separately, authorities warned of looters in towns where people have evacuated and scammers taking advantage of fundraisers for relief efforts.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Khan
Koala species threatened by fires
The bushfires have devastated Australia's koala population. In New South Wales state alone, officials estimate 30% of koala habitat - eucalpyt woodlands, which they use for both food and shelter - may have been lost. At least 45 koalas were being treated for burns at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
Image: Reuters/AAP Image/D. Mariuz
Australians take to the streets
Thousands of people took to the streets on January 10 in Australia's major cities to rally against Prime Minister Scott Morrison's inaction on climate change and his handling of the ongoing bushfire crises. The nationwide rallies were organized by university students in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.
Image: picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS
Smoke across oceans
Smoke from Australia drifted across the Pacific and reached South America, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on January 7. On January 2, the EU Copernicus program recorded the highest concentrations of atmospheric carbon monoxide in the world over the "clean" South Pacific Ocean stemming from the fires in Australia.
Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
