The responses of Acacia plants to fire depends not only on the species but on the fire intensity and frequency, season of burn (aspects of the 'fire regime') and the age of the plant. Generally, however, species response varies from those which are killed outright (such as Acacia dealbata, Acacia falcata and Acacia suaveolens) and rely on re-establishment from the soil seed bank (obligate seeders), to the resprouters or vegetative regenerators - those which have their aerial parts killed (such as Acacia doratoxylon and Acacia implexa) and then re-establish by shooting from the roots. In either case, plants may regenerate quickly, often producing a dense fire-induced even-aged stand. Many acacias will also shoot from mechanically damaged surface roots.

Fire can also be a factor which leads to speciation. Firstly, local extinctions following a fire can fragment a population and prevent interbreeding and gene flow between the newly formed disjunct populations. Without the sharing of genetic material small environmental and biological differences acting on the genetic makeup of a disjunct population may provide, over time, sufficient selective pressure to allow new adaptive traits to develop. Speciation occurs when sufficietnt divergence eventually eliminates the natural ability of the members of the disjunct populations to interbreed.