Australia must consider the growing impact of climate change on fire risk

January 24, 2020 | The Hill

Rain arrived last week, giving weary Australians a break from fighting the bushfires. But with ruins still smoldering, Australians have signaled their intention to learn from the unfolding tragedy by requiring fundamental change to fighting fire. Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged a possible investigation by a royal commission and the state of Victoria announced its plan to embark on a separate inquiry. In vowing to learn from calamity, Australia follows a history of communities using catastrophic fire to make long lasting improvements in fire safety. Only this time, Australia will need to consider not only how it can reform traditional fire safety measures, but also how the growing influence of climate change could worsen fire risk.

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