Australia's flame-scarred Kangaroo Valley calls for tourists to return

Hay and sweet potatoes are seen spread out on the ground for local animals as volunteers install a possum nest box in an area devastated by bushfires in Kangaroo Valley, Australia January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Angie Teo

KANGAROO VALLEY (Reuters) - Hard-hit businesses in Australia's blaze-ravaged Kangaroo Valley are calling for tourists to return now that the wildfires are under control, and fear firms and jobs will be lost unless the all-clear message is heard.

The tourism industry estimates the fires that raged throughout the holiday season have already cost it almost A$1 billion (529 million pounds).