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

Stay or go – what’s your plan on a catastrophic fire day? And where does that ‘catastrophic’ rating come from, anyway? Could you stay and defend? Cosmos journalist Imma Perfetto is diving into the science on fire danger ratings, and figuring out if she could ever stay to defend a place – or evacuate early. She’s joined by Professor Jim McLennan, Andrew Gissing, Owen Ziebell and Dr Meaghan Jenkins to learn about the science and psychology of fire danger.This episode was produced by Ellen Phiddian and edited by Andrew Wyrill. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.