By ANNELISE KING

The Australian bush fires have claimed at least 25 lives, destroyed over 2,000 homes, and killed millions of animals.

Although Australia has always had occasional bushfires, the droughts were severe in 2019 and fueled the flames. According to BBC, the smoke from the fires has become a major hazard, causing pollution and severe thunderstorms. 

 Many notable celebrities are aware of these issues. They’re getting involved by spreading awareness and assisting Australia. 

Insider reports that Leonardo DiCaprio, actor and climate activist, has pledged $3 million towards the Australian Wildlife Fund. Their efforts assist firefighters and support affected communities. According to DiCaprio, his motivation was “to assist critical firefighting efforts, aid local communities most affected by the wildfires, enable wildlife rescue and recovery, and support the long term restoration of unique ecosystems.” 

Selena Gomez, a well-known actress and singer, donated 500,000 to Australian fire services. She urged her followers on social media to take action. Insider reports that she tweeted, “Absolutely devastated by the fires in Australia. Praying for everyone affected and all of the first responders. I’m making a donation and would love if you would consider doing the same if you can.” 

According to Fox10, Australian actress Margot Robbie posted pictures of herself and her family growing up on a farm in the country. She captioned her photo, “…I didn’t want to show you more pictures of the devastation. I wanted you to see how beautiful our country is because it is so beautiful and it is really, really hurting right now and it really, really needs you to please, please donate anything you can.” She donated to a number of different organizations and provided links to them for her followers. 

Other stars such as P!nk, Lizzo, Ellen Degeneres, Rebel Wilson, Russel Crowe, and Keith Urban have donated to various relief efforts and used their social media to spread the word.