These fires were incredibly intense, and the word "unprecedented" was used by many an old firefighter.

The reality is that we have been heating our atmosphere, ocean and land due to CO2 -induced global warming and this extra energy is now showing up in the burning near our settlements.

How do we respond?

Be serious about climate change: The fires just remind people around the world that we remain a global climate laggard and certainly are not worthy of much sympathy.

This will soon spread to our trade discussions and ability to raise finance for major projects. The return of the apocalyptic bushfires mean that we cannot continue to pander to climate denialists in both parties.

Industry is now taking the lead in showing how to do net-zero production and in particular to see how solar-based hydrogen can transform regional economies.

Local governments will soon be the drivers in showing why this should happen in their area and enable many community dreams.

Our settlements will need to change: The most vulnerable parts of our cities are in peri-urban areas where there is substantial scattered development set in forest.

Such homes are going to be increasingly vulnerable and will find insurance harder to get especially with one road in and out to such sites.

Consolidating the city will need to start removing such lifestyle zonings as they will not be safe.

Rural areas and coastal settlements will need a new model that is based on green technology infrastructure, new building materials and new ways of living together rather than living in forest-hideaways.

The creation of villages with more localised solar-based energy systems and local battery storage managed by the local community are now a real option for the future.

This can reduce the risk of scattered individual households being cut off from power during extreme weather events.

They can also have community-based transport links with shared EV vehicles that will be the cheapest form of transport once linked to solar recharging.

New fire management approaches: Incorporating Indigenous knowledge of seasonal burning and engaging communities in ecologically oriented fire management will enable a safer and more resilient approach to managing the land for multiple purposes.

If we don't change the way we live the increasing risk will never be abated, in and around our cities.

Professor Peter Newman is from Curtin University.