How does the weather make for a bad fire day?

Australians are all too familiar with fire and its impact on our communities and environment.

While fire is a natural part of the Australian landscape, every year we see it threaten things we hold dear, whether they be houses, national parks or koalas.

What makes weather conditions “bad” for fires, though?

Most of us recognise that the hot, dry and windy weather that can occur in summer — and increasingly in spring and autumn — can be a trigger for fires, but how does that work, and what do cold fronts have to do with it all?

While there are lots of details that mean fire and its interaction with the weather and the landscape is still a topic of active research in Australia and around the world, we’ll try to provide some…