The wildfires currently devastating parts of Europe have highlighted how Australia, one of the world's most fire-prone countries, is combining Indigenous knowledge with modern technology to combat bushfires. Professor Marta Yebra, who leads the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence in Canberra, has spearheaded work integrating satellite imagery, drones and AI with knowledge passed down through Indigenous communities over thousands of years, arguing the two approaches together offer far more effective fire detection and prevention than either alone.

The research centre was established following Australia's Black Summer fires of 2019-20, its worst fire season on record, which burned an area roughly the size of the UK. Satellite data reveals "fuel moisture content" indicating where dry vegetation might fuel a blaze, but Indigenous land readers such as Adrian Webster, from the New South Wales south coast, ground-truth this data using traditional ecological knowledge, such as plant colour, scent and soil conditions. Yebra reports "remarkable agreement" between Webster's assessments and satellite readings, and her team hopes to secure further funding to expand the approach. The article also touches on the Indigenous practice of "cultural burning" — small, controlled "cool fires" used to manage the landscape as a longstanding land management tool.