A bushfire is a fire that occurs in the bush, scrub, woodland or grassland. Bushfires burn on litter, leaves, twigs, undergrowth, grass, other vegetation, structures, and any other objects in the vincity: gas bottles, piles of fire wood and tyres. Weather can contribute to how hot or quickly the fire will spread. The hotter and drier the more likely for a bushfire to start and spread uncontrollably. High winds will reduce humidity, but cause ongoing fires to spread more rapidly.

A natural bushfire is almost always caused by lightning strikes. In January 2003 over 80 bushfires were caused by lightning strikes. Some people also deliberately light fires to hurt or damage people or property. A few bushfires are caused by human accidents like a camp fire to close to a tree and that tree ignites and lights other trees and so on. To try and cease the numbers of bush fires the government has started to burn restricted areas like the aboriginals used to do when they looked after the land. This is called Agricultural burning. Burning restricted areas helps get rid of thick layers of under growth. Getting rid of most of the under growth makes it harder for a fire to start and spread.

Bushfires can have good and bad effects on the environment. Some plants need fires to spread it's seeds. Banksia for example needs the heat and smoke of a fire to release it's seeds. Without Bushfires these flowers could not reproduce. After a bushfire a lot of old indigenous plants come back because there is no longer anything stopping them coming up from the ground.

On Saturday 7th of February 2009 one of the biggest bushfires in Victoria hit Marysville. Residents say it was like a tidal wave of fire over 3 times the trees height. Most residents fled from their homes but some stayed to defend. Although it is still not confirmed it is likely for the bush fire that occurred in Marysville might be the work of an arsonist. More than 250 police have been in Marysville searching for evidence. Rena and Stewart a couple from Marysville said the fire came so quickly all they had time for was to grab a few essentials and get in the car. First they drove to the assembling area at Gallipoli park, no sooner had the drove through the gate, two police cars materialized and urged everyone to leave immediately and drive to Buxton, only to find that area threatened too and being evacuated they made there way to Alexandra, 35km north of Buxton. Alexandra had no power and was blackened with smoke. As they milled around the main street they heard Red Cross were setting up a refuge in they local High School. By the time they got to the school hall it was packed so they walked down to the local gymnasium were an other refuge had been set up. There was still no power and inside, the gym was murky with smoke but they dragged a old gym mat to the corner and set up a small camp against the wall. The heat was awful and the air quality was deteriorating but bearable if one lay on the floor and kept still. The Red Cross team kept everyone supplied with water, sandwiches, fruit and ice- cream. Shortly the news that Marysville had been wiped out within hours came through and people struggled with the grief and disbelief. Rena and Stewart were among the lucky ones, they had not lost any family members and there house was in perfect tack except a broken window and half a step missing. Around 38 people lost there lives on the 7th of February in Marysville and for some it is a day they'll never forget.