After the Fire
What comes after Australia's worst bushfires?
From honey production to the long-term health effects of toxic smoke, Australia has had to survey the aftermath of bushfires even as they continue to burn. Some border fires have now combined into a 'megablaze'.
Fires have destroyed an estimated 10,000 hives across Australia, each holding 50,000 bees. Beekeeper Stephen Fuller saw his local plot in Grafton all but destroyed by fires. "We've lost 90-95% of our floral resources in the forests", he says. For south-east Australians, a thick blanket of smoke has rendered the air the worst in the world. "They're saying this is like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day", says mother Hannah Thomson. Along the border of New South Wales and Victoria, three fires have joined together to consume around 800,000 hectares of land, exposing inconsistent border communication and protocol. "It's difficult to understand that federation really ever happened, given the difficulties we face getting services across the border", says first responder Sandi Grieve.
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