Man, I left town for just a few days and I came back Tuesday morning to find the place has gone up in smoke.

Well, really, it was just a portion of Clinton Parkway. And, really, the smoke and flames were part of a controlled burn.

Tuesday morning Rod Hoffer, a field supervisor for Lawrence’s Department of Parks and Recreation, moved up and down a few areas of brush alongside Clinton Parkway, setting them on fire.

The flames were contained to the small patches of foliage he wanted to burn, though the smoke drifted south in the wind as snow began to fall on the city.

Ideally, Hoffer said the controlled burns would have been done earlier in the year, perhaps by the end of February, but the weather has not been cooperating.

It's a controlled burn. Here's Rod Hoffer with @lawrenceks Parks & Rec doing his thing. pic.twitter.com/vkqRVJpC6x

— Conrad Swanson (@Conrad_Swanson) March 14, 2017

Every day, Hoffer said, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Division Chief James King looks at local weather conditions to see if a controlled burn could be allowed within the city. Among other things, he checks wind and humidity levels.

If the conditions allow, King then gives the Parks and Rec department the thumbs up to begin burning.

On Tuesday Hoffer and his crew received the OK and began their burn project up and down Clinton Parkway. He said they’d move to Lawrence’s Arboretum — just north of the town’s Youth Sports Complex — if the snow allowed.

By noon on Tuesday about half an inch of snow had fallen on the Lawrence area, said Kyle Poage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka.

The snow was not expected to continue into the rest of the week, however, Poage said. In fact, temperatures are likely to increase as the weekend nears.

“We’ll have a high in the 40s on Wednesday, and then Thursday it’s looking to get into the 60s,” he said.

In addition both the wind and humidity levels are expected to remain at manageable levels, Poage said.

Though King has final say for burns within city limits, rural residents need to check with the county before they light anything on fire, said Jillian Rodrigue, Douglas County Emergency Management assistant director.

Area residents can find the Rangeland Fire Index and other info through the county’s website, douglascountyks.org, Rodrigue said. Same as in the city, the index looks at wind and humidity levels alongside other variables.

When the index is at low, moderate or high levels and wind speeds are below 15 mph, Rodrigue said county residents can go ahead and perform their own controlled burns. Though they still need to call the county’s dispatch at 785-843-0250 to log their fire.

Calling dispatch lets emergency responders know a controlled burn will be taking place and also allows dispatchers to warn concerned citizens who call 911 as soon as they see the smoke, Rodrigue said.

Hoffer said the calls to 911 never fail, even if he and his crews knock on neighborhood doors and warn the residents they’ll be burning.

Better safe than sorry.

And while there are many reasons to perform a controlled burn, Hoffer said he and his crews were doing so to help control weeds along Clinton Parkway. The flames get rid of all the unwanted undergrowth in the area and allow fresh grass and flowers to grow when weather improves a bit.

Out with the old, in with the new, I suppose.