Air Quality Officials Continue Health Notice for Areas Close to Wildfires

RALEIGH - Smoke from wildfires continues to decline but could still impair air quality in areas close to the fires in southeastern North Carolina, air quality officials say. (map)

Pender County residents could experience unhealthy air quality, and people are urged to limit prolonged outdoor activity if they see or smell smoke.

A fire in the Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County is affecting communities with smoke that could contain elevated levels of particle pollution. Other fires in Bladen and Cumberland counties have died down and are not producing as much smoke. For more information about the North Carolina fires, check out the link on the national interagency website, http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2218/ .

Air quality monitors operated by the N.C. Division of Air Quality, or DAQ, have shown elevated particle pollution due to smoke from the fire. People who live in counties close to the fire, particularly sensitive groups, should limit their outdoor activities if they can see and smell heavy smoke.

Some of the highest particle pollution levels that DAQ has ever measured were in smoke plumes from wildfires. Concentrations have reached Code Purple, or very unhealthy, at times in counties close to the fires. The highest particle concentrations have tended to occur during the evening and early morning hours. Particles can be harmful to breathe and contribute to haze and other air quality problems.

The air pollution forecast for Thursday shows that fine particle levels could exceed the standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over 24 hours. High particle levels can impair breathing and aggravate symptoms in people with heart and respiratory problems, and irritate the lungs in healthy individuals. People with chronic lung and heart ailments as well as children and older adults should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity.

Forecasters have predicted potential Code Orange conditions, or air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, in Pender County. Intermittent smoky conditions could occur as well in Bladen, Carteret, Cumberland, Duplin and Jones counties.

In Code Orange forecast areas, sensitive groups should avoid or reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Sensitive groups include older adults, children, people who work or exercise outdoors, and those with heart conditions and respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.

Fine particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream, causing or aggravating heart and lung diseases. Persons most susceptible to particle pollution include those with heart and respiratory conditions, older adults and young children. Symptoms of exposure to high particle levels include: irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest pain or tightness; shortness of breath and asthma attacks.

More information on air quality in North Carolina can be found at the DAQ website, www.ncair.org . More information on the health effects of smoke can be found at this website: http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=smoke.page1#4 .

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