Irish in Australia: Share your experience of the bushfires

Across Australia at least 25 people have been killed and 2,000 homes destroyed by the blazes. Rain and cooler temperatures on Monday were bringing some relief to communities battling the fires. But the rain was also making it challenging for fire crews to complete strategic burns as they tried to prepare for higher temperatures that have been forecast for later in the week.  Fires have ravaged more than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land across the country, an area nearly the size of Austria, destroying thousands of building and leaving some towns without electricity and mobile coverage.

The Irish Times is looking to hear from Irish people living in Australia who may be affected or have a view on the bushfires. Do you live close to the affected areas? Have you witnessed the fires? Are you fearful? Have you had to evacuate, or do you think you will? Is there fear about them spreading further? Have you experienced bushfires in Australia before? What are people saying there about the fires - everything from how they can be stopped, to prevention, to impact on business and tourism? How are communities pulling together? You can contribute using this form. A selection of contributions may be published on irishtimes.com.

If you are reading this in The Irish Times app, you can access the form here