Leaves and Limestone: Smoke and flame azaleas

Jennifer Mason Contributor The air is thick with smoke as I get ready to work in my vegetable garden. It seems as if folks have gone burn crazy. Now I know that fire is an important part of our forest ecology, but every year? I thought it was best to do prescribed burns every three to five years. Now, every late winter and spring, I am surrounded by smoke. I have lived in these woods for 40 years and in the past seven or so I am surrounded by choking smoke. I have never seen so much burning.