Western NC Code Red Air Quality Alert Expanded Due to Wildfires

A Code Red Air Quality Action Day will be in effect Tuesday for Polk, Transylvania, and Henderson counties. Additionally, a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day will be in place for Rutherford County. Residents are urged to take precautions.

Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone. All residents should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Anyone sensitive to air pollution, including children, older adults and people with asthma, should avoid outdoor exertion.

Code Orange signifies air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Children, older adults and people with asthma should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors during Code Orange conditions.

These latest alerts are in effect until midnight Tuesday evening, 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 by 3 p.m. each day. 

Smoke can carry elevated levels of PM2.5, 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.

Additionally, 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. This restriction is in addition to any local or state burn bans. The N.C. Forest Service on Thursday issued a burn ban for all of North Carolina.