Smoke and sunrise at UTC
photo by Deb Montgomery
A thick smoke hung over downtown Chattanooga on Monday from surrounding forest fires after a long period of no rain.
Air quality officials said a temperature inversion occurred Monday morning creating a layer of smoke that has not dissipated. Officials said they expected the air quality to improve later in the day as the inversion lifts.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau encourages residents to take precautions if they smell smoke or are in an area near the wildfires.
Residents are encouraged to:
·Stay indoors with the windows and doors closed.
·Avoid running the air conditioner if possible. If it cannot be avoided, run the air conditioner in your home or car with the fresh air intake closed.
· Minimize or avoid outdoor activities, especially physical exertion during smoky conditions.
·Monitor air quality conditions.
·People in high-risk groups, including children, pregnant women, older adults, those with lung disease, including COPD or asthma, should limit outside activities.
·Additionally, small pets can also be impacted by unhealthy air and should be brought indoors if possible.
For current and forecast particulate matter AQI information go to the website at apcb.org or visit airnow.gov.
Meanwhile, an Air Quality Alert was issued because of all the woodland fires.
The alert says: THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE KNOXVILLE...GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...AND CHATTANOOGA AREAS...IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY. A CODE RED AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR OZONE HAS BEEN ISSUED. GROUND LEVEL OZONE CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS. EVERYONE MAY EXPERIENCE HEALTH EFFECTS. MEMBERS OF SENSITIVE GROUPS MAY EXPERIENCE MORE SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION FACEBOOK PAGE @TN AIR QUALITY.