Smoky air triggers Code Red

Officials with the state Division of Air Quality say that today's pollution has hit higher-than-expected levels as smoke and haze arrived in the region from the wildfire in and around the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

While the day was labeled Code Orange, air quality spokesman Tom Mather said pollution levels have been measuring well into the Code Red range since midnight.

Friday will be another Code Red day, he said.

The fine particles in smoke, which contain harmful chemicals, are more dangerous than the ozone that causes most poor air quality days in the Triangle, Mather said.

"These particles are so small that when you breathe them in, they get deep in your lungs and can be absorbed right into your bloodstream," Mather said.

He said young children and the elderly should not be outside.

The smoke will likely thicken tonight and could linger in the Triangle until Saturday afternoon, said Jeff Orrock of the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

He said winds that are carrying it from Eastern North Carolina aren't predicted to change until Saturday morning. Once the wind direction changes, it will take awhile for the smoke to blow out.

But by Sunday, Orrock said, a cold front is expected to clear the air. That won't stop the smoke from returning, though, if easterly winds return.

Meanwhile, callers clogged the 9-1-1 emergency communications center in Raleigh this morning to report the smoky conditions.

The Raleigh-Wake County Emergency Communications Center received almost 300 calls, prompting officials to urge people to "use due diligence before calling 9-1-1 for what is a temporary environmental condition." Emergency officials in Wake Forest also reported a slew of calls as people began smelling the smoke.

"Although these calls are made with good intent, they do delay personnel from dealing with real emergencies," Raleigh officials said in a statement. "If you believe that you are reporting an actual fire, please do not hesitate to call."

Bill Swartley, a spokesman for the N.C. Incident Management Team, said the smoky conditions are unavoidable as firefighters attempt to suppress the fire in and around the wildlife refuge about 40 miles from the coast.

Even after surface fires have been extinguished, Swartley said, the ground will continue to smolder and long-term smoke issues will linger.

Swartley encouraged a "certain level of tolerance while the agencies work to mitigate issues."

The only thing that will significantly reduce the smoke is soaking rainfall in the form of a hurricane or tropical storm, he said. Otherwise, he said, the recovery will take months.

The Pocosin Lakes fire has burned just under 39,779 acres, state authorities said. That's slightly less than officials at one point thought had burned.