Oct. 12--SUFFOLK--There's no end in sight yet for the still smoldering Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge fire. On Wednesday, almost a week after the refuge gained total management of the fire back from an incident team, the blaze was not completely out.
The fire is 100 percent contained according to refuge officials, but has spread into areas inaccessible to firefighters.
The few remaining smoke spots are largely embedded in peat, decomposed layers of vegetation on the floor of the swamp. Crews are pumping water into the refuge in the affected areas trying to saturate the ground with enough water that the fire will be put out.
Deloras Freeman, a spokeswoman for the refuge, said that there are no plans to remove burnt wood from the fire out of the refuge. "Generally it's just left to lay there. It decomposes back into the system," Freeman said.
The fire started on Aug. 4 after a lightning strike. More than 6,377 acres have been burned in the refuge, making it the largest fire in Virginia history on record, according to refuge manager Chris Lowie. Officials have not been able to determine when the fire will be completely declared out.
