Brush fires typically occur in agricultural fields, meadows, deserts, or rural vacant areas during a prolonged period of no rain. The Western United States and Australia have been know to have significant brushfires.

The term bushfire, rather than brushfire, is unique to Australia. Bushfires in Australia can occur anywhere, but are most common in the southern states which have very hot, dry summer seasons.

I work for CalFire fighting fires all summer. There are a few different things that cause fires. I'll list my opinions of most common causes to least common.

1. Stupid people (not arsonists, people running lawn mowers in 3 feet of grass, letting their "control burns" get out of control, kids playing with fireworks, tossing cigarettes out the window, etc.)
2. Cars (catalytic converters start fires in remote areas like camping spots)
3. Lightning (the fires won't start for a day or so after the lightning strikes, but when lightning storms roll through the following few days are pretty busy)
4. Downed power lines (wind, car accident, pole aging occur and the lines start fires)
5. Pot growing operations (generators and campfires start fires in very remote areas)
6. Arsonists, who are technically stupid people (honestly the least likely cause, but when you have an arsonist on the loose none of us rest until he's caught or done)
7. Underground coal fires.

California is trying to pass a law where if you start a fire and someone perishes while fighting it you will be eligible for the death penalty as well as liable for all costs incurred putting out the fire.

Wild fire can be caused by a fire that campers started and didn't put out, by someone throwing a lit cigarette into dry grass and shrubs, by lightening striking dry timber, or by an arsonist who intentionally lights small fires in several places.

Occasionally a person who is mentally ill, (a pyromaniac) will think they can make themselves appear to be a hero by starting a fire and then act like they just happened upon the scene and try putting it out. Unfortunately the fire usually blows out of control before help arrives and from there it will burn for miles, until a shift in the weather helps firefighters or until it runs out of fuel.

This happens almost every year in Southern California. Sometimes Law Enforcement gets lucky, and the arsonist is seen by witnesses in the area, shortly before the fire starts. More often the arsonist gets away. Some of these people have applied to be Firemen and did not pass the tests given to applicants.

= Archaeology =

Archaeology, archeology, or archæology(from Greek ἀρχαιολογία, archaiologia - ἀρχαῖος, archaīos, "primal, ancient, old"; and -λογία, -logia) is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, features, biofacts, and landscapes. Because archaeology's aim is to understand humankind, it is a humanistic endeavor.. Furthermore, due to its analysis of human cultures, it is therefore a subset of anthropology, which contains: Physical anthropology, Cultural anthropology, Archaeology, and linguistics. The goals of archaeology vary, and there is debate as to what its aims and responsibilities are. Some goals include the documentation and explanation of the origins and development of human cultures, understanding culture history, chronicling cultural evolution, and studying human behavior and ecology, for both prehistoric and historic societies[citation needed]. Archaeologists are also concerned with the study of methods used in the discipline, and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings underlying the questions archaeologists ask of the past. The tasks of surveying areas in order to find new sites, excavating sites in order to recover cultural remains, classification, analysis, and preservation are all important phases of the archaeological process. These are all important sources of information. Given the broad scope of the discipline there is a great deal of cross-disciplinary research in archaeology. It draws upon anthropology, history, art history, classics, ethnology, geography, geology, linguistics, physics, information sciences, chemistry, statistics, paleoecology, paleontology, paleozoology, paleoethnobotany, and paleobotany.

According to Diana Bernstein, climate scientist and Assistant Research Professor in the Division of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi: “Apart from human activities, Australia’s hot and dry summers are to blame for the start and the spread of the wildfires."

Although the region knows to expect a fire season, these most recent fires have been worse than most. This is because Australia is currently experiencing its worst drought in decades as well as a heatwave that broke the record for the highest nationwide average temperature in December. These elements combined have caused the fires to spread more rapidly than usual. Many experts also reference climate change as a contributing factor, as the increasingly extreme weather conditions are taking their toll on an already at-risk area.

There is also the human element—there have already been 24 people charged with deliberately starting bushfires this season.