Code Red Air Quality Action Day in Effect Saturday for Brunswick County, Code Orange in New Hanover

A wildfire in Brunswick County has the potential to produce unhealthy air quality in the area this weekend, and residents are urged to take precautions.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is issuing a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for Brunswick County and a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for New Hanover County.

These are in effect now through midnight Saturday, but DAQ meteorologists will continue to assess the situation and may modify or extend the alerts over the coming days. For the most up-to-date air quality forecast information, visit the Air Quality Portal. DAQ meteorologists issue the next day’s air quality forecast around 3 p.m. each day.

Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone. All residents should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors and take more frequent breaks. Anyone sensitive to air pollution should avoid long outdoor exertion and consider rescheduling outdoor activities. Sensitive groups include children of any age, older adults, people with asthma or other heart or lung conditions, pregnant women, and outdoor workers.

Code Orange signifies air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Those sensitive to air pollution should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors during Code Orange conditions, take more frequent breaks, and watch for symptoms such as shortness of breath.

The wildfire, near Boiling Springs Lake, is producing a large plume of smoke on satellite imagery that is likely to remain moving north-northeast close to the surface.

Smoke can carry elevated levels of PM_2.5, which consists of particles smaller than the width of a human hair. These particles can reach deep into the lungs and aggravate asthma and other lung conditions and have been linked to heart conditions.

DEQ’s website has a list of resources for keeping safe around wildfire smoke. More information about particle pollution is available from EPA. 

State law prohibits the open burning of yard waste or land clearing debris on Air Quality Action Days of Code Orange or above. To report violations of the open burning rules, contact the DAQ regional office that serves your county.