Fighting fire (and pine beetles) with fire in the pine barrens

To keep forests healthy and pest-free, sometimes it takes a fire. Newsday Opinion’s Mark Chiusano followed forest rangers and other fire experts for a controlled burn in the Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest in May, to see a fire experiment and example of how flames can be used and managed in Suffolk County. Credit: Newsday / Mark Chiusano/Mark Chiusano