Two lives were lost, nearly 250 structures destroyed, and a total of $94 million in damage was incurred over the disaster's duration, making it one of the worst series of fires Australia has ever seen.

While we can't always prevent fires and other disasters from happening, we now live in a time where we can equip ourselves with the most important thing we need to keep ourselves safe: information.

Emergency AUS have launched an app for smartphones and tablets that shares data on all natural disasters that can mean the difference between danger and safety.

The app, available for no download at no cost, crowdsources information from trusted emergency services and over 150,000 regular users, and hopes to expand its reach even further.

Director of Emergency AUS, Luke Corbett, says the more people on hand to share their information, the safer we'll all be.

“In an emergency situation, having the most accurate and timely information at your fingertips is critical to make safe and informed decisions. This is exactly what Emergency AUS does.”

During 2014, Emergency AUS's app sent over 25 million notifications to users, warning them of potential hazards and dangers.

Emergency AUS is available for free on Apple's app store, Google Play, or directly from your web browser.