DELAWARE - The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for today and tomorrow in light of wildfire smoke passing through the peninsula.
Smoke from fires in Nova Scotia, Canada, combined with a mostly sunny, warm day will enhance ozone formation, according to the department. DNREC says a ridge of high pressure building southward will also hinder atmospheric mixing, and light winds will limit dispersion and carry the pollutants into Delmarva.
The pollutants will result in an Air Quality Index level that is unhealthy for sensitive groups both today and tomorrow.
At the same time, a fire in Burlington, New Jersey is adding yet another layer of smoke to the area. Various Delaware emergency services and fire departments have reported receiving calls from concerned residents regarding the smell of smoke.
“As you go outside this morning you will likely smell smoke and see what looks like a foggy morning,” the Carlisle Fire Company said in a Facebook post. “It appears this is from a large forest fire to our north in New Jersey.”
Pictures and videos from multiple departments and viewers show a hazy, gray cloak over the area. Both the haze and the smell is now also present in Wicomico.
Both DNREC and WBOC meteorologists say gusty winds on Saturday are expected to aid in dispersion and transport cleaner air into Delmarva. Today and tomorrow, though, the peninsula can expect to suffer the second-hand smoke out of the north.