EDMONTON -- An Edmonton woman is watching from halfway around the globe as her daughter works on the front lines of bushfires spreading throughout Australia.
A retired paramedic of more than three decades, Corrine Clark can imagine the conditions her daughter Jacinda, a volunteer firefighter, is working in.
“I worked during the tornado and even that is (a) much more confined area,” Clark told CTV News Edmonton. “I can’t even imagine that scope of and the magnitude of fires like this.”
“I’m sure they’re exhausted.”
Jacinda is an Australian citizen, having lived in the country for 20 years. Clark spends most winters with her daughter and grandson near Adelaide, a city of one million in South Australia.
Bushfires throughout the continent have grown in size and number over the last few months, forcing thousands of Australians to evacuate.
On Friday, the total number of hectares incinerated on Kangaroo Island breached 150,000, or about half of the island that is home to protected nature reserves.
“Kangaroo Island really brought it home for me just because of the closeness, and her personal involvement,” Clark said.
“It starts to make you think about things in a different light.”
Australia’s resources have been stressed by the length and power of fires across the nation. A first group of Canadian firefighters went to help the firefighting effort on Dec. 5, and 15 more flew to Queensland on Monday.
Another 21 Canadians will fly out next week, the government said.
Between the international help and the resilience of its citizens, Clark has hope Australia will fare as best it can.
“She makes me very proud,” Clark said of her daughter.
“And what I think the hope for Australia is, is the people. The people of Australia are its strength.”
Clark did reconsider her annual trip to Adelaide, but decided to go given the city is not threatened by fire. Adelaide is experiencing poor air quality conditions, however, due to smoke.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
