Every bad bushfire year, the call goes out for more, more, more hazard reduction burns. So do they actually help reduce fire risk? Are there other measures we could be using to prevent bushfires? And how long has the Australian landscape had fire in it?

In this episode, Cosmos journalist Imma Perfetto ventures out to a patch of smouldering bush to ask about hazard reduction burns. She’s joined by locals Peter and Jane Bleby, and experts Dr Hamish Clarke and Dr Rohan Fisher.

This episode was produced by Ellen Phiddian and edited by Andrew Wyrill. Theme music by Will Berryman.

For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine

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