Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel loads wood into a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site, in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. In a Polish mountain forest, Zygmunt Furdygiel spends four hours loading logs of beech wood into a large furnace, then lights up the pile and leaves the wood to burn. “It smokes for two days then cools for another two days”, the 69-year-old said. “On the fifth day, I take out the charcoal”. Furdygiel has worked as a charcoal burner for more than 40 years, turning wood into the black carbon. He is one of just a few charcoal burners still operating in the Bieszczady mountain range of southeastern Poland, regularly piling wood into some four furnaces, known as “retorts”. According to the regional office for Poland's national forests, just 16 years ago there were more than 50 such charcoal burning bases in Bieszczady equipped with more than 600 retorts. Today there are fewer than 10 with around 40 retorts due to cheaper imports from neighbouring countries such as Ukraine. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Beech trees grow in a forest in Bieszczady Mountains near the village of Baligrod, Poland November 6, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Beech trees grow in a forest in Bieszczady Mountains near Baligrod village, Poland November 6, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel holds a sack loaded with newly-made charcoal at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Stacks of wood are seen near a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains near Baligrod village, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel loads wood into a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel closes a charcoal furnace full of wood at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel checks on a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel fires wood inside a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel closes a charcoal furnace full of wood at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel stands in front of a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zbigniew loads sacks of charcoal on to a truck at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zbigniew holds ladder at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zbigniew loads sacks of charcoal on to a truck at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zbigniew poses for a photograph at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel's hut stands at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel looks at his scooter in front of his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zbigniew stands near a truck loaded with sacks of charcoal at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Smoke rises from chimneys of a charcoal furnace at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 28, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel looks up inside an empty charcoal furnace before loading it with wood at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel holds sack of charcoal at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel sits inside his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel eats soup inside his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland November 6, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel fires wood stove inside his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel holds his cats inside his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near the village of Baligrod, Poland October 27, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)





Charcoal burner Zygmunt Furdygiel drinks beer inside his hut at a charcoal making site in the forest of Bieszczady Mountains, near Baligrod village, Poland November 5, 2016. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)