Dismal Swamp fire officials prepare for Irene

SUFFOLK

On top of fighting one disaster, wildlife officials are gearing up for another one at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge -- Hurricane Irene in case she makes landfall.

While they have said a steady, soaking rain would help contain the fire, efforts to continue flooding the 112,000-acre swamp would still have to continue, said Bridget Litten, a spokeswoman for the Type 2 Incident Management Team now in charge of the fire.

"It’s not the be-all, end-all," she said. "We need that ground totally saturated."

If Irene turns out to be a Category 1 or 2 storm, fire personnel will take shelter where they have been staying while they fight the 6,000-acre blaze that is 20 percent contained. If it becomes a Category 3 or more, the team will evacuate to an off-site location yet to be determined, Litten said. Also, heavy equipment used in their firefighting efforts would have to be moved so it doesn't get damaged.

"We’re watching the weather really closely to see what’s happening," she said today as the hurricane's predicted path puts it in the Carolinas by Saturday.

If its path continues, the swamp could see rain from the hurricane Saturday. Litten said officials would have a hurricane plan in place by this weekend.