Rain Helps, But Expect Continued Smoke from Great Dismal Swamp Fire

By WYDaily Staff Sunday, August 14, 2011

The smoke plume from the Great Dismal Swamp fire stayed further east than expected  Saturday, which spared the Route 460 corridor to Petersburg and most of the metropolitan Richmond area from experiencing Code Orange, Code Red or Code Purple particle concentrations.

The Historic Triangle, however, was among the areas affected Saturday along with Suffolk, Isle of Wight, the Peninsula down to Hampton and Newport News and parts of the Northern Neck. Thick smoke was reported Saturday morning in Williamsburg, James City County and York County, where one resident reported a garage smoke alarm being triggered by the plume's drift.

The fire began August 4, when lightning struck an area of the wildlife refuge that had been burned in the 2008 swamp fire. Grass and brush had begun to grow over the burn scar, but this year's drought dried out those new plants and soil. Scientists say the burning soil is the source of most of the smoke and particulate. More than 5600 acres have burned in the refuge, which is near the North Carolina border.

For Sunday: Significant and much needed rain arrived late Saturday and is expected to continue in the region throughout today. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality meteorologist Dan Salkovitz said he expects the rain to help mitigate the impact of the swamp fire's smoke, although occasional Code Orange conditions are possible in the following counties/cities: James City County, York, Newport News, Hampton, Surry, Isle of Wight, Suffolk and Southampton.

For Monday: As a frontal system moves off the coast, winds will come out of the west or northwest. Areas downwind of the fire location may experience Code Orange conditions. That includes Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. Portsmouth, Norfolk and the southern end of the Eastern Shore, where a period of Code Orange conditions may occur in the early morning, depending on when the winds shift to the west or northwest.

"Note that this is not a 'one and done' situation," Salkovitz said. "As long as the fire continues to burn and grow, there will be additional days when Code Orange/Red/Purple conditions affect areas downwind of the fire on any given day. Specifically, whenever the winds at the fire location are from the south, southwest, west, east, or southeast, some areas of Virginia may be adversely affected."

General smoke information guidelines are provide below:

AUGUST 14:
Hampton Roads
Color Code: Orange - Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality
Primary Pollutant: Particle pollution

Richmond
Color Code: Yellow - Moderate air quality
Primary Pollutant: Particle pollution

Roanoke
Color Code: Green - Good air quality
Primary Pollutant: Particle pollution

Winchester
Color Code: Green - Good air quality
Primary Pollutant: Ozone

AUGUST 15:
Hampton Roads
Color Code: Orange - Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality
Primary Pollutant: Particle pollution

Richmond
Color Code: Green - Good air quality
Primary Pollutant: Ozone

Roanoke
Color Code: Green - Good air quality
Primary Pollutant: Ozone

Winchester
Color Code: Green - Good air quality
Primary Pollutant: Ozone

Health Risks Information
Code Orange: Active children and adults, and people with heart or lung disease (including asthma) should limit or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities.

Code Red: Active children and adults should limit or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities. People unusually sensitive to air pollution, especially those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), should avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Code Purple: Active children and adults should avoid prolonged strenuous outdoor activities. People unusually sensitive to air pollution, especially those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), and older adults should avoid all outdoor strenuous activities.

High air pollution levels can impair breathing, cause lung damage, coughing and eye irritation and put extra strain on the heart. Air pollution also can aggravate asthma, bronchitis or emphysema.

SMOKE INFORMATION:
Here are some general guidelines for citizens to use in assessing local air quality conditions whenever there is wildfire smoke present:

• If you can smell smoke with no visibility impairment, air quality levels are probably in the Code Orange range, or Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. At Code Orange levels, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities. People who are active outdoors also should take it easier to limit their exposure to particle pollution.

• If you can smell smoke with minor visibility impairment (1 to 3 miles), air quality levels are probably in the Code Red range, or generally Unhealthy. At Code Red levels, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities; everyone else should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.

• If you can smell smoke with significant visibility impairment (less than 1 mile), air quality levels are probably in the Code Purple range, or Very Unhealthy. At Code Purple levels, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should avoid all outdoor strenuous activities; everyone else should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.