Fire has been part of the Australian landscape for millions of years. Many of our plants and animals have evolved to not only survive fire but depend on it for their persistence. As a result of this very long association with fire, many Australian ecosystems have developed specialised relationships with fire. Not all fires are the same.

Most landscapes have evolved in the presence of fire, and plant and animals have adaptations that enable them to co-exist with regimes of fire characterised by the season, intensity, frequency, and scale of burning.