Remnants of a small brushfire near the West Orange Trail. Palmettos grow in dense groves in woodlands and fields in Central Florida; this fire has exposed their sinuous, ground-hugging trunks. Fire rejuvenates forests in Florida, clearing undergrowth and allowing new seeds to take root. But sometimes the fires are extensive, jeopardizing homes, closing highways, and filling the air for miles with smoke. We are at this writing experiencing wildfires similar to those of the the drought of 1998, when more than 2 million acres in Florida burned.