Fire has been present on the Australian continent for millions of years. Fire was part of the Australian continent's landscape long before the arrival of humans. Fire appeared in the landscape at a time of climatic and geological change. With these climatic and geological changes came the spread of the Eucalyptus, Acacias and grasses we know today. Many of our plants and animals have evolved to survive fire events and subsequently most Australian ecosystems have developed very specialised relationships with fire.

Western Australian ecosystems exhibit a wide variety of components, all of which have a relationship with fire. From the tropical savannah woodlands of the north, the hummock grasslands and acacia and eucalypt woodlands of the arid zone, the forests, woodlands and heaths of the southwest, fire is a part of all these environments.