North Carolinians in the Raleigh area -- can you smell the smoke?

[gateley]

I just opened my window and saw how hazy out it is, and got a whiff of the smoke (I'm in Clayton). If it's this bad here, how are the poor people between here and the coast faring?

Here's a shot of I-40 in Cary. It's a little NW of here, so it's a little thicker where I am.

How are you all doing?

[chapel hill dem]

1. It is hazy and smells of smoke here in Chapel Hill. n/t

[mnhtnbb]

17. Hey, chapel hill dem! I went out this afternoon and flashbacked

to the fire that destroyed our house here in Chapel Hill last summer. I was certain something was on fire from the smell.

:hi:

[SaveAmerica]

2. Any tropical storms on the horizon? I hope those fires get doused soon.

Stay safe.

[Lex]

3. The acrid smoke smell is here in Durham and it is hazy with smoke.

Yuck.

[gateley]

4. Johnston County (me) under a Dense Smoke Advisory until 9pm. nt

[supernova]

5. Smelled it first thing this am

when I walked out the door. :P

Nasty odor. :puke: I hope they get the fire under control soon.

[gateley]

6. I really feel for the people closer to the fire.

It's been raging for days -- I don't know what they can do until it rains.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

7. Nothing here in Wilmington!

:hi: from the beach!

[Lex]

11. If the wind shifts, I imagine you'll smell it.

And yikes.

[Richard Steele]

8. It's not quite that bad here in Durham, but it's definitely noticable. nm

[Muttocracy]

9. wow! is this a single forest fire? I've missed this news. nt

[supernova]

10. Next door to possible new Navy landing strip

The fire is on the coast at a bird sanctuary... next door to where the Navy wanted to put a practice landing strip. (So far, we've said No!)

[Muttocracy]

13. oh, doubly sad :(

[gateley]

19. Here's info on it -- began June 1!

They've issued a Code Red this afternoon which will probably last through tomorrow because of the ash that's in the smoke (upgraded from a Code Orange).

Fire to burn for weeks

Lightning sparked the fire June 1 in the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and it has burned more than 40,000 acres – about 63 square miles – in Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties. It is the largest wildfire in North Carolina in more than 20 years and is the largest fire now burning in the U.S., forestry officials said.

The wildfire was about 40 percent contained Thursday andwas burning primarily underground in the peat that abounds in the swampy areas of the wildlife refuge, forcing firefighters to spray water on certain areas for hours.

The dense woods and the smoky conditions have made it difficult for firefighters to battle hot spots. The shifting winds also forced crews to re-establish containment lines to the west after working for days on the east side of the blaze.

"It's kind of tough," said Steve Cannon, a firefighter with the state Division of Forest Resources, said. "You get used to it a little bit. Your eyes burn. But it's something you have to do because usually where the smoke is, you have the chance for (flare-ups)."

State officials said the fire might not be fully contained until late July. :wow:

More than $1 million has been spent battling the wildfire, and about 440 firefighters from state and local agencies have been on the job.
Crews were expected to set fire to an addition 20,000 acres near the wildlife refuge in the next few days to help contain the wildfire by burning off potential fuel. The so-called "burnout" could create even more smoke for residents near and far.

[ibleedblue]

12. In Raleigh now.....

and it's pretty bad here at the office. Wish we'd get some rain to knock this mess down a little bit. Heading home to Johnston Co. in a few minutes. Supposed to be worse there. I needed to mow this afternoon, but I think I'll hold off on that.

Best of luck to the firefighters in Hyde County working on this! From WRAL's site....Field observers said the fire had burned about 39,779 acres, or about 62 square miles, and was about 40 percent contained, Swartley said. The figure was a revision of an earlier, slightly larger estimate Wednesday.

[supernova]

14. Welcome to DU, ibleedblue!

:hi: :toast:

[gateley]

16. Welcome to DU, ibleedblue!

I'm in Johnston County, too. :hi:

Just stuck my face out the door -- hardly any haze and barely a whiff of smoke. But WRAL shows the Dense Smoke Advisory has been extended until 11am tomorrow morning. :shrug:

[NRaleighLiberal]

15. Smelled it at 6 AM when I let out the dogs and fed them - was bad all day,

just looking out the window now and it seems less hazy (3:45). The early news shows were a bit confused - initially blamed it on a tire store fire in Kenly. But it definitely had the burning peat smell. Was nasty outside here all day. And, we are back in a very little to no rain pattern, reminiscent of last summer through this early spring. Climate change? what climate change (says the Repubs!).

[ClassicalLiberalinNC]

18. It was all throughout NCSU too

It was weird, I only saw an atmosphere like that in my room when I smoke hookah in it...

[KoKo]

20. It was really bad this morning...tapered off after about 3:30 p.m... But, it was bad...

Smelled like "Smoked Bacon on Steroids." I didn't let my cats out on porch...they are getting over "kennel cough."