This study investigates inter-annual variability in burnt area in southern Africa and the extent to which climate is responsible for this variation. We compare data from long-term field sites across the region with remotely sensed burnt area data to test whether it is possible to develop a general model. Keywords: Climate, Fires, Fuel dryness, Inter-annual variation, Savannah, Seasonality, Burnt fire areas, Global ecology, Ecology, Biogeography.