Fires occur regularly near my home in Southeast Wyoming. Sometimes it’s a forest fire to the west, sometimes it’s a grass fire to the south, east, or north, and occasionally fires burn from all directions. The blazes are sublime, invoking wonder and fear. The sky fills with smoke and haze.

Lightning causes many of the fires in this arid land. Intentional burns are regularly set to clear a field or ditch. Sometimes careless humans leave a campfire smoldering and it catches new life, turning into a devastating blaze. Sometimes, no matter the cause, a fire gets out of control and destroys lives.

Months after the destruction, the faint green signs of new growth will emerge from the charred land.

Scorched earth.

Hope for renewal.