CHINCOTEAGUE, VA - A prescribed burn has been announced in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to take place Sunday.
According to the Refuge, the burn is slated for Sunday, March 23 on the Old Fields impoundment between Wills Hole and Virginia Creek as well as between the Service Road and the impoundment. Crews from the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge will be on location to burn about 200 acres of pine, shrub, and grassland habitat, officials say.
The NWR says the burn is intended to manage vegetation and remove dead grass, clearing the area for new growth and reducing woody vegetation encroachment into marshes. The burn is also intended to enhance grazing areas for the Chincoteague ponies and the grassland habitat for birds.
Prescribed burns are pre-determined based on weather conditions, fuel moisture, and the availability of resources. Officials say Sunday’s burn will include local support and the guidance of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services wildland firefighters.
The Chincoteague NWR will remain open while the burn is conducted, according to officials, but the Service Road will be closed north of D-Dike for at least the entirety of Sunday. Authorities say the burn is expected to last one day, and smoke may be visible in and around Chincoteague.