For Jan Harris, watching wildfires tear through Europe from her rebuilt home in rural New South Wales brings tears.
The 67-year-old lost her house to a bushfire in 2018 and knows the hard road ahead for those now fleeing flames in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and France.
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Extreme heat has fueled unprecedented outbreaks across Europe, forcing evacuations in north Wales and destroying hundreds of homes near Paris.
In Spain, a wildfire killed 13 people, including seven Britons. Major fires also hit the US and Canada during intense heatwaves, underscoring a worsening global crisis.
Lessons From the Frontline
Harris recalls March 18, 2018, when temperatures hit 38°C. Despite clearing gutters and preparing water tanks, the flames approached too fast.
She grabbed her son's insulin and fled with her husband.
Their home was destroyed, along with 64 other buildings.
Two years later, during the Black Summer fires that killed 33 people and destroyed over 3,000 homes, they evacuated twice more.
Bushfires are ancient in Australia, but managing risk requires modern cooperation between authorities and citizens.
Public systems like daily fire risk ratings and mandatory survival plans help mitigate danger.
"Australia has some of the most bushfire-prone land in the world," says Ben Shepherd, a superintendent at Fire and Rescue New South Wales.
"The public has to understand the risk and what they can do to alleviate it."
This shared approach includes regular reminders to clear flammable debris and establish evacuation triggers.
