Our current knowledge of the extent and characteristics of animal mortality during fire remains rudimentary, hindering our ability to predict how animal populations may be impacted in the future. We explored how animals respond behaviourally to fire cues. We concluded that animals are not passive victims of approaching fire, but instead have finely tuned behavioural responses that probably evolved over time to enhance survival. We also conducted a global systematic literature review to estimate how many animals die during fire. Our review highlights how little we currently know about the direct effects of fire on animal mortality, and shows the critical need for further research to improve our capacity to predict the impact of fires on mortality of native Australian wildlife