North Carolina Wildfire Smokes Out Raleigh

A haze, and subsequent stench, have descended on Raleigh as western shifting winds continue to bring smoke from the largest active wildfire on American soil to the Triangle and beyond. The fire began on June 1, following a lightning strike in the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County. An estimated 63 square miles, or 40,195 acres, have burned with only 40% of the inferno now contained. Conditions in Raleigh are expected to deteriorate further overnight as lighter winds may allow the smoke to linger for days. The NC Division of Air Quality has already issued a Code Orange warning for Raleigh and surrounding areas. Later Thursday, the warning was updated to Code Red. Raleigh remains under that warning today, Friday 13th, despite improved visibility. The warning extends beyond people with respiratory illnesses to include those with heart conditions, due to the fine particle pollution from the wildfire.

Raleigh already ranks as America’s 3rd worst city for asthma sufferers in the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) 2007 ratings. Could we now go for #1?

#3 Raleigh, NC
This city boasts more than 150 lakes, parks, and greenways, but it’s still third on the AAFA’s 2007 list of Asthma Capitals. While Raleigh received “worse than average” ratings in only four categories (public smoking bans, poverty rate, use of rescue meds, and use of controller meds), the city scored only average ratings in seven of the eight remaining categories. To combat this, the state of North Carolina is currently developing a comprehensive asthma surveillance program and a plan to address asthma among people of all ages, ethnic groups, and backgrounds.

satellite image from NASA