WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following program may contain images and voices of deceased persons. Every summer our television screens show emotional scenes of burning homes and heroic firefighters, and again questions are raised about the place of fire in the Australian environment. Far from being a total disaster for native Australian forests, we know that our indigenous flora can survive and even thrive in the aftermath of a fire. However, the overall effect of fire on Australian ecosystems is still a topic of intense study and debate.