In the early days of September, Sydney found itself gripped by a heat that belonged to another season entirely, as spring temperatures climbed toward midsummer levels and authorities across New South Wales raised the alarm for extreme bushfire risk. The convergence of dry air, dense winter vegetation, and unseasonable warmth creates conditions that fire does not wait to exploit. Australia has long known the fire season as a fixture of its summer, but the calendar's reassurances are growing less reliable — and the gap between expectation and danger is where lives are most at risk.