The bushfires that have torn through Australia over the past few months have been among the worst in its history, resulting in the deaths of at least 33 people and a billion animals, along with the destruction of some 2,500 homes. The damage is almost impossible to calculate—according to the Guardian, 7.7 million hectares have been burned during the 2019-2020 fire season so far, and it’s not over yet.
To help raise awareness about the extent of the damage, Nearmap, an Australia-based company that provides aerial images and data insights to businesses, shared before-and-after images of some of the areas heavily damaged by the fires in New South Wales. The images below offer a sense of the devastation from a safe distance. For the countless lives affected by the fires, the impact is all too close up.
Before: July 21, 2019. After: November 27, 2019.