Fire is woven into the Australian landscape in a way few other places on Earth can match. Many native plants don't just survive fire — they depend on it. But fire is also a serious hazard to lives and homes, and the conditions that drive dangerous bushfires are shifting. This episode explores the ecology of fire, why parts of Australia are built to burn, and how the science of fire risk is changing.

You'll come away understanding why fire is natural and even necessary in many Australian ecosystems, how some plants are adapted to it, what makes fire weather dangerous, the role of fuel loads, and how longer, harsher fire seasons are reshaping the risk.

Talking Science is sponsored by Kinsoft. Visit www.kinsoft.com.au

Further reading: CSIRO – bushfire r ...