Beginning Over, 21. The Green Heart, Pierced.

The Courel in Lugo is burning.

The heart and lungs of this, our green Galicia, are being devoured by ferocious flames licking up ancient hills that, until now, were verdant and fresh. Entire villages, forgotten by most of their old neighbors, are now being erased completely, burned down to the bare stones. History, human and natural, is disappearing in the sparks of this hateful orange flower of flames.

This fire, and another enormous one down near O Barco de Valdeorras, was sparked by lightning last week, during that freak thunderstorm that blew up over us thanks to the unusual heat we had. At least it wasn't started by a human piece of dung. But it was exacerbated by lackadaisical fire control and a lack of forest management that hasn't been in place ever since the way of life in the mountains started to disappear. Once, it was the people who subsisted in those villages who cut and trimmed and cleaned out deadwood. But, when they left for decent lives with decent jobs, no one stepped into the void. That is where criminal negligence lies, with the regional and local governments that defended those hills and woods only on paper, but never on the ground. Now, we reap what these have sown. 

This is what is being lost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By this.

Life continues, or, can life continue with the heart and lungs gasping for air?