Multiple wildfires, smoke updates
A cluster of regional fires and smoke events is affecting trails and neighborhoods right now — North Carolina’s statewide burn ban is nearing its third week as crews respond to two new wildfires, and Pennsylvania’s National Weather Service warned residents to ‘exercise caution’ with cigarettes amid elevated fire risk (wlos.com) (newsweek.com). Specific incidents include a West Deptford, NJ blaze that burned about 160 acres and lingering smoke in Mobile, AL after a woods fire behind homes was contained (courierpostonline.com) (wkrg.com). Meanwhile the Blue Mountain brush fire in Pennsylvania is now mostly contained and the Looking Glass fire in Pisgah National Forest is reported 100% contained (wfmz.com) (transylvaniatimes.com).
Wildfire crews across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic are still chasing new fires and lingering smoke as dry, windy weather keeps fire danger high. (ncagr.gov) (forecast.weather.gov) North Carolina’s statewide burn ban took effect at 6 p.m. on March 28 and remained in place into Monday, April 13, after the state canceled all burning permits for all 100 counties. On Saturday, April 11, crews and aircraft responded to four new fires on national forest land totaling 63 acres. (ncagr.gov) (wlos.com) In Pisgah National Forest, the Jack Branch Fire near Hot Springs reached 15 acres and 70 percent containment by Monday, while the Looking Glass Fire near Pisgah Forest was reported 100 percent contained after starting on April 7 from a downed power line. (wlos.com) (transylvaniatimes.com) Pennsylvania faced the same weather pattern. The National Weather Service in State College issued a Special Weather Statement at 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, April 12, warning of an elevated risk of wildfire spread across a broad stretch of southern Pennsylvania through early evening. (forecast.weather.gov) (newsweek.com) That warning came as firefighters worked the Blue Mountain brush fire near Lehigh Gap, where local reports said the fire was mostly contained by Monday morning after crews dealt with high winds and dry conditions. The fire burned along the Appalachian Trail corridor in Carbon County. (wfmz.com) (mcall.com) In southern New Jersey, a wildfire in West Deptford burned about 160 acres near Red Bank Avenue and Hessian Avenue on April 11 before officials reported full containment by 6 p.m. Saturday. Smoke from the fire was visible across the region while crews closed nearby roads and investigated the cause. (courierpostonline.com) (nj.com) In Mobile, Alabama, a woods fire behind homes off Hannon Road near Dauphin Island Parkway was contained, but smoke still hung over the neighborhood through the weekend as crews watched for hot spots. Residents told WKRG they could see a large smoke cloud moving behind their homes. (wkrg.com) (aol.com) The common thread is not one giant fire but a run of smaller fires flaring in dry fuels, then leaving smoke and closures behind even after containment rises. North Carolina agriculture officials said low humidity, gusty winds and drought were the reasons for the statewide ban, and the National Weather Service used nearly the same language in Pennsylvania. (ncagr.gov) (forecast.weather.gov) By Monday, April 13, some of the highest-profile fires had moved into mop-up, but agencies were still urging residents not to add new sparks. The next update that matters most is not where flames were yesterday, but whether the weather lets crews keep the list of new fires short. (wlos.com) (forecast.weather.gov)
