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It's a promising tool, this idea of to defuel forests and help restore ecosystem health. But it's risky business, too, and smoke clouds public acceptance. I THOUGHT FIRE SEASON HAD ENDED. BUT THE SCENT OF PINE SMOKE IN MY NOSTRILS LATE LAST OCTOBER TOLD ME SOMETH ....

Middle of Essay
.... is a lot more parochial (meaning practical) than political - a refreshing thought. "Honey, your fire has escaped.!" "There's no guarantee you'll not get a big rip," (see terminology sidebar, page 57) says a Forest Service fire officer on the eastern seaboard. "When you're messing with fire, there's always a chance one will escape," echoes his counterpart in California's Sierras. "The fuels are tricky..." adds Ron Meyers, who directs prescribed fires for The Nature Conservancy from his base in Florida. Such concerns are real. Paul Tine, acting Forest Service fuels specialist for the sprawling eastern U.S. region, remembers well what he calls " ....