Wildfire smoke causes air quality to worsen in TN, SC, and NC

smoke

Above: Smoke from wildfires as photographed by a NASA satellite November 13, 2015. 

The wildfires in the southeast continue to produce large quantities of smoke that in recent days has not been migrating out of the area very quickly. The AirNow.gov forecast for air quality predicts “Unhealthy” conditions Monday and Tuesday in Asheville, NC valleys and Hickory, NC.

smoke, air quality,
AirNow.gov shows degraded air quality near wildfires in the southeast.

The smoke forecast from NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory for 11 p.m. ET on Monday shows intensifying smoke in eastern Georgia and the western portions of North Carolina and South Carolina.

wildfire smoke forecast
Wildfire smoke forecast for 11 p.m. ET November 14, 2016. Prepared 1 p.m. ET November 14, 2016. It shows smoke intensifying in eastern Georgia and the western portions of North Carolina and South Carolina. NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

11 thoughts on “Wildfire smoke causes air quality to worsen in TN, SC, and NC”

  1. Currently at mile marker 100 on I-95 GA. Have experienced heavy smoke all the way from Florida.

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  2. I’m from Nashville Tn and I’ve noticed I can’t see too well like a haze. As I wear contacts but I put in a new pair only after a week thinking something was wrong with them but I continue to suffer from the haziness even with the new pair. This must be it as I travel all over Nashville and it worse in some city’s than others. Do you think this could be the cause ? I just now learned of the fires as I never watch news always working

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  3. We are currently heading to Florida and are on I-95 southbound in South Carolina, near mile marker 10. It is incredibly hazy and smoky here. We planned to stop at Sargent Jasper park just before the SC/GA border so our sons could play at the playground, but now rethinking that because of the smoke. Thank you for the informative article.

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  4. I’m in Livingston, TN at the moment and I can smell smoke here when I go outside. There’s definitely a haze as well. We’ve seen smoke up where I live on the KY/TN border in Pickett County as well.

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  5. Hi Bill, I am in McCreary County, Ky, which borders Tennessee and today the air quality has gotten worse. It’s 12:38 am right now and you can hardly see anything right in front of you. I don’t know where exactly the closest fire is, but even my home is smoky inside. That is how thick the smoke is here. About 5 minutes ago I heard loud booms and have no clue what caused the sounds. It almost sounded like transformers exploding. I am praying for those who are in the path of this fire and for the fire fighters who are out fighting them. Thanks for keeping us posted! Peace~

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  6. Hello Bill,

    Just left Galtinburg, TN this morning. The kids and I were there for the UT/KY game. The smoke is pretty heavy through out the area with visibility very low. The area is very dry extended back through middle Tennessee and KY. Heck, I coming home to fires in the Ozarks we are dealing with one on the park (Ozark NSR and Mark Twain NF) at just shy of 100 acres.
    For people headed to the Smokies be prepared for smoke on the TN side as far as Cookeville. The views from the crest are not there. You can smell it as well, it thick enough to sting your nose and eyes even though it’s not like what it would be on line. A side note, those areas where the fires are very steep and not the greatest access.
    Bill, one question for you concerning aviation. Are there any Vertols still flying? If there are, is there one assigned to Tennessee? Because I could have swore I saw one but it has been years since I worked with one.

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  7. (From Nashville, Tennessee)
    I’ve noticed a smoky smell to the air, hazy conditions, and clouds to the east, which that I found out that are really smoke clouds. In the overnight, I was out on my balcony, and saw some haze in the sky. I didn’t think about the wildfires to the east, but now I know! This article was helpful, thank you.

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