Smoke from North Carolina and South Carolina wildfires makes for hazy day in the Triangle
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Smoke from the wildfires burning in North Carolina and South Carolina turned the skies hazy in the Triangle with the faint smell of smoke in the air.
At the American Tobacco Trail in Durham on Tuesday afternoon, plenty of people were out exercising or walking their dogs like any other afternoon. While health experts say that's fine given the current air quality, it's a good idea for people to monitor the air.
ABC11 spoke on Tuesday with Dr. David Beuther, a pulmonologist with National Jewish Health. He said that even with the scent of smoke present in parts of the viewing area, there are no major health effects for most people unless the air quality were to dip sharply. But he did caution people with asthma, COPD or heart disease to pay close attention to the quality of the air and the presence of smoke during the next few days since they would be most at risk for complications.
"When the air quality gets bad, generally, we want people with these conditions in the very young and the very old to stay inside," Beuther said. "That means windows closed, you know, either central air circulating or air conditioning. Or if it's warm, the idea is to keep those windows and doors closed and to keep that particulate pollution out. And if you have to go outside, limit that to a short duration."
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Beuther said we haven't come close to reaching those levels yet, so for now, there are no major health concerns even for people with those existing conditions. But when dealing with smoke, it's important to stay aware of those effects and keep an N-95 mask handy as well, should the air quality dip.
Meanwhile, on the North Carolina-South Carolina border, fire crews out west made major progress on a wildfire burning in Polk County. The Melrose fire is 91% contained, though nearly 700 acres have been burned.
In South Carolina, our crew was there as an aerial chopper dumped water on the Carolina forest fire near Myrtle Beach.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission is investigating what sparked several wildfires in the state during the weekend, saying it's believed the fires ignited because of someone doing backyard burning, not a prescribed burn.
WATCH | Powerful winds, dry conditions fuel Carolina wildfires
