Centauria angustofolia, sp? Knapweed, the cornfolwer colored flower plant is a harmful invasive species that changes the soil so native plants are gone for good. Too bad you have that now. Probably from hay production and trade. I have not seen it in Alaska yet.
I don't know much about Australian forests, and I am aware of climate change, but these uncontrollable fires in the US are largely driven by poor forest management and habitat change. Average surface temps are a distant third cause.
It is disapointing we do not pay more attention to habitat change, which, over the last 50 years, has had much more alarming consequences globally. For example, I would attribute most of the extinctions, which are vast (e.g. the majority of vertebrates), to habitat change. Also, it is much more actionable than carbon. I can literally make an overt difference, just by managing my own properties responsibly, and so on.
I am willing to take action on climate change too, but Californians are not correct in attributing their problem to Chinese coal burning, etc. They should be looking at their own behaviors with land management in their state first. Fire supression, improper fuel age classes in forest stands, suburban development, above ground irrigation, etc. are the big drivers. They built communities in habitats that naturally would burn every few years and then supress fire forever, to protect the structures, and let fuel build up the whole time, on canyon walls nonetheless.