Since September, bushfires in Australia have been cropping up across the country's southeastern region, burning more than 14 million acres of land, killing millions of wildlife (government officials say nearly a third of New South Wales's koalas have perished), forcing thousands of Australians out of their homes, and sending smoke some 2,500 miles away to New Zealand. While there are fires spread through every state in Australia, most are concentrated in New South Wales—home to Sydney—with some surrounding Adelaide, and they don't show any sign of stopping, despite the 2,000 firefighters tirelessly working to quell the flames. December through March is usually peak season for bushfires in Australia, so more blazes are likely, especially after one of the most severe droughts on record last year.

Whether you're planning a trip to Australia later this year, are on your way soon, have fond memories of a trip Down Under, or even if you have no plans to visit in the near future, there are ways that you can help. Here, some of the ways your time and money can be put to good use.

Fund the firefighters

Many of the Australian firefighters on the ground are volunteers—and you can keep up with their work via the New South Wales Rural Fire Service's Twitter account, which reports daily firefighter numbers, uncontrolled fire counts, and more. You can donate to the volunteer firefighter teams—either as a whole or to a specific brigade in New South Wales if you'd prefer—on the fire service's site. (If you have seen a Facebook-led fundraiser by Aussie comedian Celeste Barber, which has reached some $27 million in donations as of publishing, it is also being funneled to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.)

Three volunteer firefighters have been among those killed by the fires—and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service has also set up donation sites for each of their families.

In neighboring Victoria, home to Melbourne, the Country Fire Authority is supporting its volunteer firefighters and helping with community recovery through donations to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal.

Start the recovery

A number of organizations are helping victims who've lost their homes, farms, and more in the fires so far. The St. Vincent de Paul Society has specific donation portals for bushfire victims and for those suffering during Australia's extreme drought. For affected Australian farmers, many of whom have lost their entire crop or herds in the fires, BlazeAid helps rebuild destroyed farm fences so they can return to work. You can donate funds to provide supplies and fencing materials to BlazeAid's volunteers.

Both the Red Cross and Salvation Army are also fundraising to provide aid, housing, and more to fire victims, though in both cases, your donation will go into their general disaster relief fund, rather than being earmarked just for the bushfires.

Spending money on local businesses—even if you're not planning to visit the country soon—can also help Australian small businesses rebuild. Scott Gillies from Traveler travel specialist Tropicsurfsays to head to Buy from the Bush, a PayPal marketplace and Instagram account that highlights rural businesses in areas facing extreme drought. "It allows people to buy items from small town shops in Australia online rather than [going to] Amazon to help communities," he says.

Fight for the animals

As we previously reported, slow-moving, tree-bound koalas are particularly susceptible to fires. In New South Wales, around 2,000 of the marsupials have died, according to News.com.au. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is currently fundraising for drinking stations for the pint-sized bears, with donations also going towards a future breeding program.

But koalas aren't the only animals that need help: pets and livestock in the fires' paths are at risk, too. Donate to the RSPCA in New South Wales (comparable to our ASPCA) to help with animal rescues, evacuations, and sheltering—along with aiding any injured animals in the aftermath of the fires.

Plan a trip

With agriculture sure to be affected by the fires, Australians will need your tourism dollars in the coming months to help rebuild. "The best way to support the country is to continue with any travel plans one has in place, not cancel any arrangements," says travel specialist Pedro O'Connor. "It is an opportune time to travel with purpose and get one's hands dirty by volunteering and making a difference to real people’s lives," Generally, areas around Perth in Western Australia, Brisbane and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, and Tasmania are all safe to visit, though they have also seen a number of bushfires this season.

"Australia is a very large country, still very much ‘open for business’ and ready to welcome visitors," says travel specialist Stuart Rigg. "Many of the regions most frequently visited by international tourists are unaffected by the fires. The vast majority of the properties, tour operators, and destinations that we work with also remain unaffected and are operating as normal. It is therefore incredibly important that we continue to provide them with our support."

If you already have travel Down Under on the books soon, look out for additional, small-scale opportunities to contribute, too. "Many local businesses—including popular Sydney restaurants and cafés, hotels, local fashion labels, and jewelers—are also currently donating tips, dollar amounts per sale, or a percentage of profits to the bushfire relief efforts," Rigg says.

Work with an Australia-focused travel specialist like Riggs, O'Connor, or Drew Kluska, who will have a better sense of what's happening on the ground and can help plan your trip accordingly.

This story was originally published on January 6, 2020. It has been updated with new information.