Salvation Army responds to bushfire crisis as hundreds lose homes and livelihoods

“We stand by all Australians affected by the ongoing crisis at this time, praying for their safety, and the safety of the volunteers helping those affected. We also pray for The Salvation Army in Australia, for the effectiveness of the relief effort, for those who have lost homes and livelihoods and for the ongoing recovery of the communities affected by these terrible bushfires.”

The Salvation Army in Australia has been on hand to offer immediate practical assistance and emotional support to people fleeing their homes from the devastating bushfires.

The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) is also supporting firefighters in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, which are the hardest hit states.

• In New South Wales The Salvation Army is present at around 25 evacuation centres, and has provided food for several hundred people, including fire-fighters.
• In Victoria, at the request of local and regional government, The Salvation Army is offering material aid in relief centres, including mattresses, bedding, and personal hygiene items. In Bairnsdale Salvation Army officers and volunteers are providing breakfast, lunch and dinner for more than 100 emergency service personnel from catering trucks. Volunteers from Sunbury Salvation Army have provided 500 meals to firefighters.
• In South Australia, SAES teams are serving up to 600 meals a day to emergency service personnel battling bushfires west of Adelaide.
• The Salvation Army has already begun supporting the long-term recovery effort in communities, including in Queensland and Western Australia.

Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe, The Salvation Army’s Secretary for Mission in the UK and Republic of Ireland, said: “We stand by all Australians affected by the ongoing crisis at this time, praying for their safety, and the safety of the volunteers helping those affected. We also pray for The Salvation Army in Australia, for the effectiveness of the relief effort, for those who have lost homes and livelihoods and for the ongoing recovery of the communities affected by these terrible bushfires.”

The Salvation Army across the world responds to emergency situations to support those in its communities hit by disasters and tragedy. In the UK and Republic of Ireland we provide support to emergency services and those affected by major emergencies for as a long as needed. This can include providing on site refreshments and emotional support to responders at the incident site, to providing people with food, clothes, and a listening ear at rest centres, to co-ordinating or participating in the wider faith response.

On average in the UK and The Republic of Ireland The Salvation Army’s emergency vehicles attend between 170 and 200 call outs a year, and supported at the Grenfell Tower Fire, the Manchester Arena attack, the Croydon Tram Crash, during flooding, air crashes, and at the 7/7 London bombings.

For more information about our about our emergency vehicles click here.