People love an outdoor wood fire. They are a great way to keep warm, dispose of unwanted brush, cook food, and create ambience while enjoying outdoor activities.

For many Minnesotans, myself included, a wood fire is a family tradition.

A friend named Jean Melin, who edits the Wabana Chain of Lakes newsletter, asked me whether wood fires pose problems around lakes. She told me that my father, who lived for many years near Lake Wabana, would tell her he was quite concerned about keeping wood-fire ashes away from water.