April 30, 2004

In the last couple of weeks, Central Oregon has exploded with color. Yet despite all the apparent beauty, there's a real ugly and threatening side to this area - FIRE.

Although fire season hasn't quite started yet, the Forest Service is busy at work clearing out brush and burning the piles of dead wood that have accumulated over the past few months, in a feverish race to reduce fuels for wildfires this summer.

And so this is what a 110-acre controlled burn looks like:

Although I realize that homes and lives aren't being threatened by a controlled burn, I can't decide what's worse - having to see and breathe smoke all spring *and* summer, or only all summer ...