A large wildfire in North Carolina is making Virginia's air smell smoky

Have you noticed a campfire smell in Virginia today? Our winds shifted overnight back from the south, allowing the southerly breeze to transport an air mass that has been held to our south in North Carolina all week. That air mass has been contaminated with smoke from a large wildfire burning in Dare County. The fire is in eastern North Carolina at Pains Bay, which is about 19 miles south of Manns Harbor, NC.

Lightning struck causing the wildfire to start Thursday, May 2, 2011. Since then, it has burned 45,294 acres. As of this posting, the fire is 80% contained, but is still producing prolific smoke that can reduce visibilities below a mile in that part of North Carolina along US Highways 264 and 64. The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is one of the threatened areas from the wildfire.


You can track this, and other fires in the U.S., by clicking here for updates.
--Meteorologist Carrie Rose