Wildfires are inevitable in the fire prone landscapes of Western Australia. Long dry summers, flammable vegetation and ignition from lightning or human causes ensure that wildfires will occur every summer.

A wildfire is an unplanned fire and is also known as a bushfire. Wildfires have many causes, some natural such as lighting and some as a result of human activity such as camp fires, escapes from planned burning operations, industrial activity such as timber harvesting, mining, farming and power transmission and some from deliberate arson. Every year DEC is involved in over 500 wildfire incidents.