This is But Why, a podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public Radio.

I'm Jane Lindhol.

On this show, it's your job to determine what we investigate by sending us questions.

And it's our job, mine in melodies, to help guide you to the right information.

Sometimes that information comes, at least in part, from you, our question askers.

Take today's topic.

We're going to be discussing forest fires, and some of you listening have experience with

this, and maybe some advice you can even share with everyone else.

Let's start with this question we got from Abby.

I'm five and a half years old, and I come from Australia, Canberra.

I want to know what happens to the forest after a big fire.

Forest fires, or bushfires, as they're typically known in Australia, happen when a fire burns

out of control.

Sometimes it's a fire started by people.

Sometimes it's caused by lightning, and these fires can become very big problems when there's

a lot of dry vegetation like trees or grass.

That vegetation, those plants, act as a fuel, and these fires can get very large and very

dangerous.

While forest fires can happen almost anywhere, some parts of the world are more prone to

them than others because of weather conditions and landscape.

Many parts of Australia experience wildfires or bushfires.

The end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, was

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