Australians who faced a "Black Summer" blaze that scorched millions of hectares say they may have lessons for European countries hit by some of the fiercest fires in living memory.

Wildfires may start with a single spark, but experts say climate change, drought and decades of forest management decisions have created the conditions for Europe's biggest blazes.

Europe has witnessed widespread wildfires this summer following successive heatwaves that have broken temperature records, coupled with a severe shortage of rainfall. Villages in…