Death toll rises as Australian bush fires create smoke plume the size of Western Europe

AUSTRALIA (KUSI) – The death toll continues to rise in Australia with the Prime Minister saying 23 people have been killed nationwide due to the worst fires in the country’s history — and those fires aren’t showing any signs of stopping as firefighters from the U.S. joined in aiding firefighting efforts.

This week a smoke plume from Australia’s 200 ongoing fires expanded to the size of Western Europe as fires burned around 23,000 square miles, or 14.6 million acres.

That’s the equivalent to the states of New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware combined.