First Wildfires in Australia: 40,000+ Years of Fire History

Wildfire is intrinsic to Australia's ecology.

• Indigenous fire management: ≥40,000 years (cultural burning for hunting, regeneration, fuel reduction).
• Natural ignitions: Lightning strikes for millions of years before humans.
• Written records: First European accounts from 17th-century Dutch/English explorers (e.g., 1622 Batavia logs).

Modern "bushfire seasons" are intensified by climate change, but fire itself is ancient.