38,000 sq. mi. of land and roughly 2,000 homes have been destroyed by the fires in Australia. 27 people have been killed. 24 people have been charged with arson. The 24 people charged with deliberately starting fires could potentially face up to 21 years in prison.   “In addition to the 24 people charged with starting fires, 53 were accused of failing to comply with a total fire ban, and 47 discarded a lighted cigarette or match on land, police said.”

  Weather Channel article 24 Charged with Deliberately Starting Bushfires in Australia by Ron Brackett said, “Also on Tuesday, the Insurance Council of Australia said claims from the bushfires have already climbed to nearly $500 million. The estimated damage bill doubled in two days, 9 News reported.” Almost 9,000 insurance claims were filed since September.

  Climate change has been said to be playing a role in the Australia bushfires, but some disagree. “Arson is not cause by climate change,” said Craig Kelly a liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives.

  But the argument some scientists make is this: they’re not saying that climate change is the root cause of the bushfires, just that they are aiding the fires.

  “While the weather created this hot and dry scenario, the influence of climate change is also clear in Australia. These conditions have no doubt been worsened by global warming,” said Kait Parker in Weather Channel article 24 Charged with Deliberately Starting Bushfires in Australia by Ron Brackett.

  But not only have the fires in Australia affected houses, plants, and humans, but animals, as well. The fires are said to have affected over 1 billion mammals, birds, and reptiles worldwide. Manu Sanders is an insect ecologist at the University of New England and said that even if individual animals survive, they might die off anyway if their habitat is gone.

https://weather.com/news/news/2020-01-07-australia-bushfires-arrests-arson