I am a frequent visitor to the island of Maui. On my recent trip to Maui, I stayed at a condo complex in Sugar Beach. On the first morning after arriving there, when I opened the blinds, I noticed a large fire was burning in the hills just above Kihei.

At first I thought that it was a wild fire. I was frightened that it was out of control because the smoke from the fire was black and billowed high into the air. I texted my friend that lives in Makawao and was told that the intense smoke was not wild but in fact was the result of sugar cane burning.

The smoke made the area of Sugar Beach and Kihei uncomfortable for hours. My eyes burned, and I coughed my way through the mornings while there. I could see that the actual fires were extinguished by midmorning but the cloud of smoke lingered over Kihei, and I could see it slowly move over the ocean as it dissipated into the air there.

I have been seriously contemplating buying a second home in the Kihei area but the air quality seems to be compromised by the daily cane burning.

Gail Cruse

Santa Cruz, Calif.