Dismal swamp fire smokey sunset

[wallenba]

[QUOTE=troyboy;1365174] Just how does a swamp catch on fire?

"Swamp gas", nasty stuff, also causes UFO's in Michigan

[another gsxr 1k]

It's been like that down here in Florida. The Okeefenokee swamp (in Ga) has been buring since April 28th. Something like 300,000 acres burnt. I'd guess that I'm close to 100 miles south of there, and we've gotten smoke bad enough to limit visibility to well under 1/4 mile.

[Wayne Smith]

Wind out of the south this AM, Code Purple for Suffolk, Norfolk, Isle of Wight, points north on the Pennensula. Winds shifting to the west tomorrow and we will get it full force.

Swamps catch on fire when they dry out and lightening strikes into the peat. A swamp fire is a fire in the peat, underground to a large extent. Thus the attempt to flood.

[45nut]

Every time I read the thread title I read it as "Dismal swamp monkey sunsets".
I get tempted to move it to the politics area...............

[10 ga]

I think Hurricane Irene will put the fire out. NWS already shows 10+" of rain in the fire area and Irene aint even gone yet. They will probably get 15-18" plus of rain. That ought to flood the swamp plenty. Hope all are doing well with the storm. 10

[Wayne Smith]

Turns out it didn't. Still burning in places. This gives the firemen a much better idea of where they need to work, however.