I remember this book so clearly after reading it over forty years go. Now I’m in rural Australia, it has hit home much more closely how the fires impact on the people, lifestyles, countryside and wildlife. I’ve always cared but now being here, watching the news constantly, having to check RTA websites for road accesses and seeing the damage first-hand makes it so much more real – and it hasn’t hit my area yet.

The last week or so has been horrific. I’ve driven through two of the areas in the last week in-between fires. These are areas I have known for decades and have always been beautiful and scenic – places I would have loved to have live in. Now they are deeply scarred by fires. I can’t imagine the devastation felt by the home owners impacted.

I do know that the locals will rally and help people out as much as possible. I also now have a profound appreciation for the local fire services and the importance of their role – and how much we all rely on volunteer support for crises.

The reference to February Dragon was via a novel, that this was when the big fires could hit – at the end of torrid Summers. These fires have come to us well before Summer. We are just mid Spring, hence there is serious trepidation for many months to come.