Code Red air quality alert issued for 3 WNC counties; 5 counties on Code Orange
ASHEVILLE - The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code Red air quality alert for three Western North Carolina counties, while other counties have been issued a Code Orange alert.
Macon, Clay and Cherokee counties — around where the Collett Ridge wildfire burns on more than 2,000 acres without any containment — are under a Code Red air quality alert from the N.C. DEQ. Code Red means the air is unhealthy for all groups, according to a Nov. 6 news release. Anyone sensitive to air pollution, including children, older adults and people with asthma, should avoid outdoor activities.
Graham and Henderson counties — where the Poplar Drive fire continues to burn across 431 acres in the Edneyville community — have been issued a Code Orange air quality alert. For Code Orange, the general public is not likely to be affected, but people with a respiratory disease such as asthma should limit prolonged exertion outside.
Also, the National Weather Service has issued a Code Orange alert for areas above 4,000 feet in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties until midnight Nov. 6.
This restriction is in addition to any local burn bans that may be in place. The N.C. Forest Service on Nov. 5 issued a burn ban for 14 western counties.
Smoke can carry elevated levels of fine particulate matter, which consists of particles smaller than the width of a human hair. These particles can reach deep in the lungs and aggravate asthma and other lung conditions and have been linked to heart conditions.
The current air quality forecasts are valid until midnight on Monday, Nov. 6.
Each day, DAQ meteorologists will issue the next day’s air quality forecast by 3 p.m. State law prohibits the open burning of residential yard waste or land clearing debris on air quality action days of Code Orange or above. To report violations of the open burning rules, contact the DAQ regional office that serves your county.
As dry conditions persist in WNC, residents are encouraged to monitor the latest air quality information by visiting the Air Quality Portal online at https://airquality.climate.ncsu.edu/.
More: Open burning is banned in Buncombe County until further notice; rain not expected for days
More: Open burning banned in 14 WNC counties as fires grow, 'severe' drought continues
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Code Red, Code Orange, air quality alerts issued for 8 WNC counties
