The 2023 megafires burnt more than 84 million hectares of desert and savannah in northern Australia. That’s larger than the whole of NSW, or more than three times size of the UK.
Studies show some animals can recognise the threat of fire, and behave in a way that increase their chance of survival. But what about wildlife who have evolved in areas where fire was once rare?
After the Black Summer bushfires, heavy rains extinguished many fires but turned high quality water in our rivers to sludge. This is how we better prepare for next time.
Celeste Barber’s $45 million fundraiser is amazing, but battling Australia’s fires should be an ongoing effort. With the help of social media, it can be.
Living in a bushfire-prone area means every decision - from plants to parking spots to holidays - is shaped by fire risk. We live and die by the advice we are given, and the advice we ignore.
Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles