And while it seems surprising to see Tasmania at the epicentre of firefighting efforts in recent days, they have the same conditions as anywhere else in Australia - a perfect storm of lots of fuel, searing heat and wind.
A couple of relative wet years have seen vegetation practically lush in Australia which, for the lucky country, means ample material to burn.
It's a natural event.
And while Australia is the world's most bushfire-prone country, some scientists argue climate change is adding to its vulnerability.
It is so prone to fire that one wonders why anyone would live in the Australia bush - it's about as sensible as living on the flood plain of a New Zealand river.
But the call of the bush is strong.
A Cooma, New South Wales, family who lost nearly everything in a fire on Tuesday have a Terminator-like persistence: "We'll be back" they said.
Here at home, it's a time to be cautious and even those with permits need to think again about striking that match.
As rural fire officers have pointed out, just because a fire is permitted, if it gets away you are still liable for the costs.
It's no get-out-of-jail-free card.
