WAMU 88.5 : Morning Edition

Filed Under:

Great Dismal Swamp Fire Burns Out

By: Sharon Rae // November 23, 2011
Play associated audio
comments
A fiery tornado rages off Corapeake Road in the Lateral West Wildlfire on Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in August. The fire, which burned for more than three months, was finally determined to be extinguished this week.  
Greg Sanders, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsnortheast/6044721273)
A fiery tornado rages off Corapeake Road in the Lateral West Wildlfire on Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in August. The fire, which burned for more than three months, was finally determined to be extinguished this week.  

 

A southeastern Virginia wildfire that's been burning for months is now out, according to the Associated Press. The wildfire at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge smoldered for more than 3 months.

Officials surveying the burn area say they now find no evidence of smoke, and an aerial review this week confirms that the fire is extinguished. The blaze started Aug. 4 after a pair of lightning strikes. Smoke from the fire reached as far north as Maryland.

The fire consumed more than 6,500 acres and as much as 5 feet of peat soils. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dispatched hundreds of firefighters to the area over the course of the fire.

 

Arts & Culture

NPR

Book News: Kim Jong Un Reportedly Gave 'Mein Kampf' As Gifts

Also: The folly of marathon readings; Tom Wolfe has a new book; VICE apologizes for tasteless photo spread.

Food

NPR

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

The prize is sometimes called the "Nobel Prize for food and agriculture." And this year's winners include Monsanto executive Robert Fraley, a pioneer in genetically engineered crops. If there's a single person who personifies the company's controversial role in American agriculture, it's probably Fraley.

Politics

NPR

Nina Totenberg Answers Your Supreme Court Questions

Want to know how the justices decide who writes the big opinions? Or when they decide to release them to the public? What about whether the justices hang out after work? Get your answers here.

Technology

NPR

FBI Director Says Agency Is Using Drones Over The U.S.

Robert Mueller told the Senate the FBI used drones rarely and for surveillance proposes. The DEA and the ATF had both revealed they possessed drones.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.