Dismal Swamp Burns After 15 Inches of Rain

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Sept. 23--The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge continues to burn despite nearly 15 inches of rain that has fallen since the wildfire began Aug. 4.

"We're certainly ready for it to be over and for life to get back to normal," said Cindy Lane, the refuge's deputy manager. "But it's hard to tell when that'll happen. It's stubborn as can be."

The fire, which is believed to have started with a lightning strike, has scorched an estimated 6,377 acres -- about 6 percent of the 111,200-acre refuge that straddles the border of Virginia and North Carolina. It is fueled by fallen timber and thick layers of peat, the decomposed vegetation that covers large parts of the refuge floor.

According to the National Weather Service, 14.9 inches of rain has fallen on the Norfolk area since the fire began. More than half the rain -- about 8 inches -- came Aug. 27 when Hurricane Irene passed through the region.

The deluge helped soak the peat but the blaze, which has spread plumes of smoke as far north as Washington, D.C., continues to smolder.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge, has had up to 400 firefighters on scene. There were about 70 on Friday, according to Lane, who said fewer firefighters are needed because 90 percent of the blaze is contained.

The remaining firefighters are struggling to overcome flooded roads and rough terrain, she said.

"It's very hazardous -- there's trees down, stuff to climb over. It's pretty miserable," she said.

Firefighters are also coping with an infestation of mosquitoes. Populations of the parasitic insect, which soared following Irene and have been aided by hot and wet conditions, continue to remain high, Lane said.

While the fire has caused no serious injuries, it has claimed hundreds of acres of Atlantic white cedar. The federal government has been trying to re-establish stands of the rare tree.

Nearly two inches of rain has fallen on the region this week and more is expected into the weekend, said Mike Rusnak, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Wakefield office.

"The pattern really isn't changing much until next week," he said, noting there is a 30 percent chance or more of showers in Suffolk every day until at least Tuesday.

Firefighters, meanwhile, continue to pump water from Lake Drummond onto hot spots. They are moving miles of pipe and hose from areas where the fire is out, Lane said.

"The amount of work is diminishing," she said. "But there's still pockets of ground where the fire is burning."

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