Smoke from controlled burn worries drivers on I-40

Southwest winds are pushing smoke from a controlled burn at the Jordan Lake game lands toward Cary and Interstate 40 Monday, state Wildlife Resource Commission officials say.

The scheduled burn near the lake in Chatham County began this morning, Ryan Kennemur, WRC spokesman, said Monday.

Several drivers around I-40 reported heavy smoke from the burn.

“This wind has carried the smoke quite a bit,” Kennemur said.

The National Weather Service in Raleigh forecasts southwest wind around 10 mph for Monday afternoon, blowing smoke from the fire toward Cary.

The WRC regularly uses prescribed burns in the winter and spring to maintain habitats in the state game lands.

In a blog post descibing prescribed burns, the WRC explains, “Without prescribed burns, wildlife in some habitats may experience low reproduction and eventual displacement. Some species, such as bald eagles, are attracted by the habitat conditions that are created and maintained by prescribed burning.”

The WRC plans to burn almost 2,300 acres in the Jordan game lands this year.

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Smoke from controlled burn worries drivers on I-40."