Vast fires razed Canberra’s suburbs 20 years ago – and changed bushfire science for ever | Andrew Gissing for the Conversation

Our national research on bushfires since 2003 means we know much more about how they behave - and Australians are safer for it

It has been 20 years to the day since bushfires burst out of the Brindabella Ranges and into the suburbs of our nation's bush capital. Four lives were lost, many people were injured and more than 500 homes were destroyed.

There had been big bushfires before, and there were bigger bushfires to come, but the tragic day in Canberra of 18 January 2003 marked a pivotal moment in Australian bushfire science.