An Australian man who lost his family home in the bushfires has won the lottery.
The incredible win took place in one of the most badly affected areas, Mount Cotton in New South Wales. There, 1,588 homes have been destroyed and 653 have been damaged in the fires which have been raging since September, as per the BBC.
The man lost his home last year, and in a tragic twist of fate, he did not have insurance which meant that he and his family were without the means to rebuild it... until now.
This heart-wrenching video shows desperate koala guzzling down water from a cyclist:The man, whose name is not known, was the only Division One winner of the Gold Lotto draw. This meant that he scooped the entire jackpot: $1 million.
After discovering the incredible news, the man was interviewed by 9 News. He said: "This is amazing. My family just lost their home in the bushfires in northern NSW and it wasn't insured. This is a miracle, this really has come at the most incredible time. All that was left of the home was a few charred teacups."
A number of high profile donations have been coming in too in recent days, such as the one from Elton John, and earlier today, we reported on the story that an Australian businessman had donated $70 million to the cause.
Chris Hemsworth makes a pledge to the Australian fire services:However, in a situation that has left at least half a billion animals dead, there really is no such thing as too much help. To put the danger to human life into context, as per the Guardian, the air quality in Sydney measured 11 times more than the "hazardous" level in December because of the smoke.
How you can donate:
The NSW Rural Fire Service has multiple options for direct donations. You can donate to the RFS as a whole, or to specific brigades. You can donate through bank transfer, credit card or cheque.
For bank transfers, there is a set bank account (Account Name: NSW Rural Fire Service, BSB: 032-001, Account No: 171051). This account is for the RFS as a whole.
This link will take you to the landing page for credit card donations. You can donate to the RFS general fund or choose specific brigades from the dropdown box.
In Queensland, Fire and Rescue advise that you can donate both money and items through the website givit.org.au. The website allows fire-affected communities to list what they specifically need, from water tanks in Yeppoon to school uniforms in Zillmere.
In Victoria, the Country Fire Authority has two bank accounts - one for specific brigades and one for the general fund.
In South Australia, the Country Fire Service accepts donations through the CFS Foundation. You can donate to them here. You can also leave a bequest.
If you cannot find the particular brigade you are looking for, you can contact them directly.
