Do I really have to leave when the bushfire rating is catastrophic?

Cosmos Magazine

Cosmos

Cosmos is a quarterly science magazine. We aim to inspire curiosity in ‘The Science of Everything’ and make the world of science accessible to everyone.

By Cosmos

Stay or go – what’s your plan on a catastrophic fire day? And where does that ‘catastrophic’ rating come from, anyway?

There is a great deal of science behind bushfire danger ratings – but even with all that in mind, some people still plan to stay and defend their homes when bushfire conditions are at their most dangerous. Is it something you think you could do? Or is it always safer to evacuate early?

In the third season of ‘Debunks’, the new podcast series from the Cosmos newsroom team and Nine Podcasts, science journalist Imma Perfetto is exploring all the science on bushfires.

In episode two, Imma is bunkering down with fire danger ratings, and what it truly takes to defend a home from bushfire.

Debunks is a science podcast that asks questions that you actually want answered. Each week a journalist in the Cosmos newsroom expertly guides listeners through the science topics of the day, from EVs and bushfires to Ozempic. Plus we unpack all the misinformation that comes with it.

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