Once again serious brush fires are ravaging the Everglades, a situation brought on by a long drought. By late afternoon an unusual haze was noticeable and ash was falling in areas; Mark said he could see the orange glow of the fires from his home in west Miami. But our resident environmentalist, Frankie, assured us that the fires were, like hurricanes, nature's way of pruning and that the wildlife knew what to do to survive. (He likened the ash on his scooter to snow in a move to put a romantic twist on it.) Meanwhile, Broward County was advising many people to stay indoors and avoid breathing the outside air.