A Future in Flames

‘Bushfires have always threatened and always will. A Future in Flames makes sense of it all’—Christine Nixon

‘If ever there was a book for its time, it is A Future in Flames. There are half a million Victorians living within striking distance of what is sometimes called the Red Steer. They would all be a lot safer if there was a well-thumbed copy of this superb volume in their homes.’
—Adrian Hyland reviews A Future in Flames in the Age.

What is it about Australia that makes it so prone to fires? Have humans made things worse, or better? Is it possible to live in the Australian bush but be safe from fire?

No other continent on earth is as susceptible to bushfires, over such a large area, as Australia. Fires are a constant and ongoing part of our history, ecology and culture. Yet despite repeated disasters, across all states throughout the last two centuries, we seem to be no better at surviving bushfires today than we were when fires burnt through the first European settlements.

A Future in Flames is a personal journey of discovery that looks at what we have learnt from the lessons of the past and attempts to understand why, after so many years, people are still dying in bushfires.

• Year of Publication: 2010
• Genre: Non-Fiction
• Audience: Adult