MOGO, Australia — The lawns were always green in Mogo, a former gold-mining town in southeastern Australia where water from natural springs bubbled just beneath the surface. The lush oasis had never burned as far as anyone could remember.

But Mogo, like much of the country, is facing a new reality.

Last week, strong winds swept through the town, bringing a terrifying firestorm that razed half of the main street. Many now are asking: If a swampy garden spot can burn, is anywhere safe in rural Australia?

The Australian bush has always burned. But the higher temperatures that come with climate change, as well as the three years of drought and the expansion of communities deeper into wild-land areas, have put more people at much higher risk.

“We’ve had townships completely under threat that were never threatened before,” Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales, said on Sunday.