BATEMANS BAY – Record-breaking high temperatures, strong winds, and years of drought have stirred the intense Australian bushfires, killing at least 30 people across the country, destroying more than 2,200 homes, and scorching more than 20 million acres of land. The fires began in September and have spread across 131 regions of Australia.

Over the past week Samaritan’s Purse disaster response teams have been assessing bushfire-affected areas in Victoria and New South Wales, and more volunteers are arriving this week to help with the clean-up and recovery process.

James Bastian, Homeowner:

‘It’s all gone. You can never replace it. It was like a movie, a horror movie, aye, like you normally see on TV.”

Dan Stephens, Samaritan’s Purse:

“Samaritan’s Purse is in Batemans Bay, Australia. Bushfires have been burning all across Australia for the last several months. Millions of acres have been burned. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and lives have been lost.

Samaritan’s Purse has volunteers that are helping disaster-affected communities and families to recover and just offer some degree of hope. We’ll help them with sifting through debris to try to find any kind of lost items. We’ll also help with yard cleanup, cutting trees.

As we continue to work here in Australia, we would just ask for your prayers as we try to love homeowners and help them recover. We just want to thank you for your support as we continue to help the people of Australia.”

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

To read more news on Disaster Relief on Missions Box, go here.