Sydney Opera House Pays Emotional Tribute To Firefighters By Illuminating Its Sails

The Australian bushfires are wreaking havoc by destroying acres of land and burning thousands of homes. At least 27 people and over 1 billion animals have been killed in the catastrophe. The koala population has taken such a bad hit that the species may be declared as endangered soon, reports HuffPost.

Amidst all this destruction, the only ray of hope has been the hardworking firefighters of the country. And on the night of January 11, the Sydney Opera House honoured them in the sweetest way possible. NY Post quoted Opera House chief executive Louise Herron saying,

“We are lighting the Opera House sails to show our collective support for everyone affected by these devastating fires and to express our deepest gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers for their incredible efforts and courage. As difficult circumstances continue, we want to send a message of hope and strength to the people of Australia.”

According to CNN, the performing arts center will also co-host a comedy gala fundraiser in the month of March to help bushfire victims. This special tribute comes shortly after reports of one firefighter losing their life while battling the wildfires. Chris Hardman, the Chief Fire Officer of the Forest Fire Management Victoria was quoted saying,

“It is with great sadness that we confirm that a Forest Fire Management Victoria firefighter from Parks Victoria has been involved in an incident while working on a fire in the Omeo area resulting in a fatality.”

Twitter is applauding these brave men and women who are doing all they can to put out these fires, evacuate people and help injured animals.

In addition, social media users are also taking on the #KoalaChallenge that aims to raise funds for those affected by the tragedy.

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