Why Australia suffers annual destructive bushfires?

Australia's deadliest bushfires eased on Monday, but the death toll rose to 126 as firefighters and families search for scores of missing in the twisted, charred ruins.

Here are questions and answers as to why Australia annually suffers destructive bushfires:

WHY DOES AUSTRALIA SUFFER BUSHFIRES?

Bushfires are a natural phenomenon in Australia, due to its hot, dry environment. Aborigines also traditionally burned the country for many reasons: hunting, communication, horticulture, ease of travel and for ceremonies. This constant burning controlled the build up of fuel and reduced large, intense fires. A mosaic of growth in different stages and types of vegetation development, which provided a range of food sources and habitats both for Aborigines and the animals they hunted. European settlement has seen an end to Aboriginal burning and resulted in a build up in fuel for fires across Australia.

WHY DID THE BUSHFIRE INFERNO START?

Australia's deadliest bushfire resulted from a combination of extreme weather conditions. Souheast Australia baked under a record heatwave, with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, for a week due to a stationary high pressure weather system. A decade long drought and hot, dry interior outback winds last week created a tinderbox. A series of small fires joined up into one big fire but strong southerly winds on Saturday night whipped it into an inferno, destroying towns and killing people.

COULD THE FIRE HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

No. The Victorian fires started in remote nationaL parks and spread towards rural towns.

HOW DO BUSHFIRES START?

Lightning strike over dry land is the most common reason for bushfires, followed by human intervention such as fires which get out of control, cigarette butts thrown from cars and arson. Australia's bushfire danger period is from October to March, covering the end of spring, all of summer and the start of autumn, when temperatures are highest and humidity lowest.

ARE BUSHFIRES NECESSARY?

Bushfires are natures way of renewing bushland growth. Some plants require fire to spread their seeds. Australia's banksia plant requires heat and smoke to release seeds. Without bushfires these plants could not reproduce. Fire also generates new growth by eucalypts.

WHAT IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY?

The impact on the A$1 trillion national economy is minimal. The bushfires destroyed small rural towns, 80 km (50 miles) north of Melbourne, centres for small farms. There is no major industry in the region, but some top vineyards have been damaged.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING?

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a A$10 million aid package to fire victims. It has also placed the army on standby to help provide emergency shelter for those left homeless.

SYDNEY, Feb 9 (Reuters Life!) -