Smoke drifting from large wildfires burning in Georgia and even parts of Florida is spreading across South Carolina, prompting air quality alerts and raising concerns for residents with underlying health concerns.
Authorities began reporting hazy skies and the smell of smoke on Wednesday, attributing much of the impact to active wildfires burning in the Peach State.
Prevailing winds out of the southwest have allowed the smoke to travel hundreds of miles, reducing visibilities and degrading air quality readings across much of the region.
“If you are seeing and/or smelling wildfire smoke, it is most likely from those wildfires in Georgia,” the South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a social media post.
Due to declining air quality readings, state officials issued an Air Quality Alert for most of South Carolina’s 46 counties and warned that impacts could persist for several days.
Health officials cautioned that some individuals, including children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, could experience impacts from the smoke.
The Air Quality Index, commonly known as the AQI, climbed to around 200 around the Augusta metro area on Wednesday, which is considered to be rather unhealthy.
Elsewhere across South Carolina, AQI levels generally ranged from good to moderate, but varied depending on local wind conditions and terrain.
The AQI scale runs from 0 to 500, with lower values indicating cleaner air and higher values signaling increasingly hazardous conditions.
The scale is also divided into six color-coded categories, ranging from green, which represents good air quality, to maroon, where conditions are considered hazardous to the general population.
Reduced air quality levels are expected to persist through at least Saturday, particularly across the Savannah River Valley and the Lowcountry.
Over the weekend, forecast models show a cold front pushing through, which will be accompanied by a wind shift, with crisper air working its way in from the north.
Until then, health officials urge residents to limit outdoor activity if they have respiratory issues.
The entire Southeast is unusually dry, with some areas facing exceptional drought conditions, which is exacerbating wildfire risks.
Georgia's wildfire season typically lasts through May, but changes in weather patterns caused by the status of what is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation can significantly impact precipitation patterns.
