This Land, Your Land

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has put together a photographic recap of 5 Key Moments of the Lateral West Fire in Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

The fire, which burned for 111 days from August 4-9 to November 21, consumed more than 6,500 acres and cost more than $12.5 million to suppress, it says.

The fire on the 111,000-acre refuge also briefly crossed into Dismal Swamp State Park, which had closed in anticipation of the approaching flames.

Most of the refuge's forested wetlands are in Virginia but a portion extends into Camden, Pasquotank and Gates counties in North Carolina west of U.S. 17. Lake Drummond, a 3,100-acre natural lake in Virginia, is at the heart of the swamp.

The state park is just south of the Virginia state line in Camden County.

The refuge is conducting bus tours to Lake Drummond on December 13 and 27, which will provide the first public views of the Lateral West Fire zone. Reservations are required. Phone 757-986-3705.

The refuge continues to recover from the fire's effects, and some areas remain closed because of safety concerns.

Dimsal Swamp State Park has apparenlty re-opened for the first time since Hurricane Irene hit, but Goose Creek State Park remains closed.

The state parks website has removed its post-Irene alert about closed parks, and there is no word of closing or re-opening on the Dismal Swamp park page. The Goose Creek page says "closed due to unsafe conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene; but, Dinah's Landing is open."

Scroll down (or click here) for a YouTube video that shows fallen trees at Goose Creek's campground.

Dismal Swamp State Park is off of U.S. 17 north of South Mills in Camden County.

A fire in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge spread into Dismal Swamp State Park today, one day after the state closed the park until further notice because of the impending hazard.

The Daily Advance of Elzabeth City reported the development, and quoted Parks spokesman Charlie Peek as saying park officials were considering whether to ignite a "back fire" on state park property as an additional barrier against the spread of the fire. A dozen state park employees were fighting the fire, the newspaper said.

Dismal Swamp State Park protects 22 square miles of forested wetlands and borders the 111,000-acre Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

The wildlife refuge fire, known as the Lateral West Fire, was estimated at 2,500 acres as of Tuesday. It was first reported at 7 p.m. August 4, and is thought to have started with a lightning strike.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates wildlife refuges, had previously closed the refuge's Lake Drummond to boating, tours and other activities.

State Parks and Recreation said today that Dismal Swamp State Park has been closed because of danger associated with a fire on the adjacent Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Virginia.

The wildlife refuge fire, known as the Lateral West Fire, was first reported at 7 p.m. August 4. It is thought to have started with a lightning strike.

The fire is estimated at 2,500 acres southwest of Lake Drummond off Interior Ditch Road, according to a news release

The refuge has closed Lake Drummond to boating and Railroad Ditch Road to all public use, including scheduled tours. The Lake Drummond Reservation and boat trolley, located between Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp Canal, are closed.

State parks said in a news release that the fire was within one mile of the 14,432-acre park’s northern boundary. Dismal Swamp State Park is in Camden County west of U.S. 17.

The Great Dismal Swamp is one of the largest protected swamp wildernesses in the eastern United States, with 38,000 acres in North Carolina and 82,000 acres in Virginia.

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