A very sad diaster indeed, the destruction of nature! A sight no one wants to see!

There are two thoughts on that, which the locals try and balance. If you put the fires out right away, the brush is still subject to another lightning strike and perhaps worse fire because it never gets "cleaned out". On the other hand, you do have to put it out if it is anywhere near homes.

One thing if it destroys just brush, but like you say it can get out of hand. The fire dept. set fired to the St. John's marsh here and it did get near houses and scorched the sides and melted siding, windows & roofs. We are surrounded by woods and think about a fire happening sometimes. Just hate what it does to the trees/plants & wild life. Not too mention people's homes, etc.

The hillside that burned here was mostly sage and pinion, nothing much, except for the mice, shews, quail, rabbits and squirrels that lived there.