Every day for the past three weeks, smoke from local wildfires has covered our region, causing breathing problems, burning eyes and poor visibility. But as all this goes on out of our control, our local farmers are, every day, adding to an already very serious problem by burning their own wheat fields.

Isn't smoke from these wildfires enough for right now? Knowing the conditions, do the farmers have to burn their fields right now? Why can't they wait for the big fire to burn out? Why hasn't there been a burn ban put in effect for right now?

I know the local farmers are in a hurry to plant their next harvest, but what good will it do if we all are dead because we can't breathe?

TONY L. SAWYER

Elizabeth City