Down to ashes

This afternoon, I woke up from my siesta to the sound of crackling and burning outside my window. I live on the third floor, so I get a good view of the farmlands nearby. Curious, I went to check what was happening and quickly realized something was wrong. Thick smoke was rising in the air, and the heat was intense even from where I stood. It turns out that someone had been burning weeds, but they lost control of the fire, and it spread wildly across the neighboring farms.

In no time, the fire brought down everything in its path. A large plantain plantation was swallowed up by the flames, followed by fields of maize, cassava, and other crops. The farmers' hard work and months of labor were reduced to ashes in just a few hours. It was painful to see so much destruction caused by one careless act. The sky turned dark with smoke, and the smell of burning plants was everywhere.

The smoke didn’t just affect the farms. It made its way into homes, making it hard for us to breathe. Every breath felt heavy, and the air was so thick with smoke that opening a window brought no relief. People were coughing, fanning themselves, and covering their noses with cloths. All we wanted was a breath of fresh air, but that simple wish was taken away by someone's lack of caution.
This entire mess could have been avoided if a little more care had been taken.