What are the deeper cultural issues encountered when bushfires are represented in the media? This paper reflects on the relationship between media constructions of bushfires and fire related issues. The recently published Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recommended that ‘Living with Fire’, should become the basis for a national school education program. But what will happen if this goal conflicts with the dominant representations of bushfires in the media? This question is relevant in light of current attempts by researchers and emergency organisations to generate a new public discourse about bushfires in Australia