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Soldiers throw tree branches onto a huge mound of burning trash in Homestead, Fla., as massively devastated areas are cleaned up. Hurricane Andrew inflicted an eco-holocaust on south Florida, crushing the Everglades, scouring coral reefs and turning protected pinelands into trash dumps. Now, the cleanup is adding to the damage, as the open burning of huge mounds of debris fills the skies with toxic smoke. But environmentalists say the storm also brought lessons and opportunities that could ultimately be a boon. "Nature has basically done some housecleaning here," said Joe Podgor of Friends of the Everglades. "She's wiped off the Earth the trees, houses and things that don't fit into the environment. It's a harsh, harsh lesson to learn."

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