Burn

The young lady in the full body fire resistant suit with matching helmet smiled at me through the clear Plexiglas face mask as I ran by.

The older man similarly suited next to her lifted up his shield to warn me of the flames and smoke I would encounter if I (stupidly, it seemed) continued.

My Monday morning 10 mile run began on the chilly, windy but mostly sunny day across the busy street and into the forest preserve directly to the south of my apartment complex. In the Chicagoland area, these green sanctuaries are reserved for mostly illicit sexual activity, horse manure and the occasional recreational runner or biker (I assure you, my interest was purely exercise).

The wind was whipping across my ears deafeningly, heightening my other senses, all of which were telling me one thing, “Fire!”

They happened to be doing a controlled burn that morning on the prairie fields bordering the path. A cluster of workers, some clutching flame throwers, fire licking at the tips, made way for me as I entered the smoky corridor.

Suddenly I was enveloped in the gray smoke and heat emanating from the orange flames lighting both sides of the path. I kept my focus on the savage beauty of the burning, and kept running, trying to breathe as little as possible (difficult to do while running, I don’t recommend it).

This was repeated a few times during that morning, with different spots being treated along the path. At one point, while I was all alone on the winter ravished desolate prairie looking out at gravel, brown sticks, dead leaves, a small all terrain vehicle emerged ahead of me. It carried four of these people, all completely covered in suits and masks, gripping flame throwers. I felt alien on this landscape, for sure.

The burning is a necessary part of maintain the preserve. The flames feed on the decaying underbrush, clearing away the forgotten beauty of last summer and fall. Intense heat bursts the seemingly lifeless seed carrying vessels, propagating the plants.

My body burned with the effort, a necessary part of breaking down the muscles to make way for stronger, faster fibers.

I smiled, wiped the smoke induced tears from my eyes (perhaps not all smoke induced), and embraced the burn.