There is a forecast for heavy rains in parts of Australia that faced the fury of fires. It should have come as a huge relief to the areas that were devastated by the Australian bushfire. Instead, there are growing concerns about the danger of another kind, the possible mass extinction of fish. Already, thousands of kangaroos and koalas have perished, now it is the turn of fish. The fires have destroyed large portions of the green cover. People lost their homes and infrastructure suffered damage that will take time to be restored.

Once it begins to rain, the rainwaters will carry the ashes of the burnt material of greenery and houses to nearby rivers.

Since the rainfall is expected in areas that are recovering from the bushfires, there are obvious worries. This is because of the serious danger to the fish from the unwanted matter that will be present in the contaminated water. The authorities have already issued a warning to this effect.

The Guardian explains that once the ash produced by burnt greenery finds its way into the rivers, it would lead to algal blooms. These could result in the death of the fish. It seems a large number of them have died and the reason is attributed to ash that entered the waterway. The forecast of rainfall has been described in some quarters as a “double-edged sword.” Andrew Reynolds, an official of river operations, has admitted to a media outlet about such a scenario.

Rains could help fight the Australian bushfire

The possibility of rainfall in the areas destroyed by the Australian bushfire will come as a boon to firefighters. They have been struggling to contain the blazes and have used every possible means.

However, the ash and sediment flowing into waterways is likely to pose problems of another kind. The rainwater running off the fire-affected areas could pick up contaminants from burned buildings. That would be totally unwanted because the situation would harm the fish. Prof Stuart Khan, an environmental engineer, says the rainwater will carry nutrients to the river and increase the risk of algal blooms.

Moreover, these could cause problems for treatment plants.

The Guardian goes on to add that thousands of hectares had burned in the catchment for Sydney’s main water supply where inflows are at record-low levels. The authorities have taken action to install devices to limit the entry of ash into the dam. Reports on the death of fish have been coming for some months from different places. There are fears that the addition of ash from the bushfires could cause rapid drops to oxygen levels in the water and endanger the survival of the fish.

Australian bushfire an ecological threat

According to The Conversation, there is a prediction for heavy rainfall in areas that were in the grip of Australian bushfire. It will help to extinguish the flames but will give rise to an ecological threat. This is the movement of sediment, ash and debris into the waterways. These will play havoc with aquatic life, especially in the Murray-Darling Basin. It happened after the 2003 bushfires in Victoria’s alpine region. Such movement of fire debris into rivers could result in mass extinction of fish and other forms of aquatic life. The situation is a matter of concern for the Murray-Darling Basin because it has been enduring drought for long periods and bushfires have added to the problems.

Environment devastated by the Australian bushfire

Any fire devastates the Environment and the Australian bushfire has burnt down the greenery and trees that bind the soil. It got out of control. A fire of this nature makes it prone to landslides and flash floods in case of heavy rains. The exact reasons for the fire remain unknown but there was a drought in the region and the dry surroundings could have led to a fire that kept spreading. Thousands of animals have died and many have lost their habitats. It will take decades to bring back normalcy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appealed for donations to fight the calamity.
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