Explained: Why Australia is looking at a climate change angle to its bush fires

Because the Australian climate is hot, dry and prone to droughts, at any time of the year, some parts of Australia are prone to bushfires. Such fires happen when grass, branches, trees start burning in an uncontrolled manner.

Forest trees are on fire in Hillville, New South Wales state, Australia, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)

Australia has declared a state of emergency for the state of New South Wales (NSW) along with a catastrophic fire warning — the highest level of bush fire danger — in light of widespread bushfires that have left at least three people dead. Bushfires are a routine occurrence in the country, but this bushfire season is believed to be the worst and has started even before the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere summer.