Swamp Fire Still Burning
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Updated: 5:46 PM Jul 8, 2008
Swamp Fire Still Burning
SUFFOLK, Va. (AP)
A fire in the Great Dismal Swamp continues to burn despite weekend showers that dumped two to three inches of rain on the blaze.
Posted: 3:00 AM Jul 9, 2008
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A fire in the Great Dismal Swamp continues to burn despite weekend showers that dumped two to three inches of rain on the blaze.

Fire officials say the rain helped to suppress the fire. But it's only a matter of time before the swamp dries out and the blaze flares up again.

A multi-departmental team of more than 200 firefighters is fighting the fire, which has burned 4,629 acres since it started June 9.

Firefighters tried to eliminate fuel for the fire by lighting back fires along the western fringe. But Annaleasa Winter, a spokeswoman for the team, says the swamp was too wet and the fire didn't spread far. That left a large area of unburned forest in the middle of the blaze.

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