Smoke from WNC wildfires is drifting to the Triangle. When will it affect air quality?
With wildfires burning on in Western North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and winds coming out of the southwest, central and Eastern North Carolina can expect to smell — or even feel – smoke in the air starting Friday, March 28.
When will wildfire smoke reach Raleigh and the Triangle?
Forecast maps from the National Weather Service show “near-surface” smoke reaching the Piedmont by 4 p.m. Friday, and enveloping the Triangle area by 5 p.m.
Late Friday night, all but the coastal areas of North Carolina will have smoke.
How bad will the air quality be?
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s air-quality forecast, developed with the State Climate Office at N.C. State University to show levels of ozone, particulates and other pollutants, shows air quality will be slightly degraded across central North Carolina Friday evening but not enough to warrant having people stay indoors.
Some people with respiratory sensitivities may notice the air is not as good as usual.
When will the smoke be gone?
Forecast maps show the wildfire smoke clearing from Raleigh and across the central and eastern parts of the state beginning early Saturday morning, March 29. It should be out of the area by 9 a.m. Saturday as the gusty winds that brought it in also carry it out.
Is North Carolina under a burn ban?
Yes. A statewide outdoor burning ban went into effect on Friday, March 21 and has not been lifted. A statewide burn ban is unusual, and forestry officials say it indicates the seriousness of the threat of wildfires.
Under the ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited, including yard debris and camp fires inside fire rings. Violators can be cited and fined.
Why are so many wildfires burning in North Carolina?
Spring is the beginning of fire season in the state, when dry, windy conditions often increase fire danger. Spring 2025 has been especially bad, forestry officials say, because:
▪ Much of the state is abnormally dry from below-average rainfall starting in late 2024.
▪ Temperatures in recent weeks have been higher than average and humidity has been low, speeding the drying of fuels on forest floors.
▪ Western North Carolina has millions of downed, dried-out trees on the ground serving as fuel for fires since the remnants of Hurricane Helene came through on Sept. 27, 2024.
▪ People have been careless with outdoor burning, which is blamed for starting most of the wildfires.
▪ As of Friday, March 28, wildfires were burning on more than 7,000 acres in western N.C. counties, according to the N.C. Forest Service fire activity map.
When will conditions improve?
Rain may be coming next week to the mountains as a cold front moves into the state, beginning Sunday.
From Wednesday, April 2 to Sunday, April 6, western North Carolina is likely to have above-average rainfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
However, temperatures are expected to remain above average through the period, the Climate Prediction Center says.
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Smoke from WNC wildfires is drifting to the Triangle. When will it affect air quality?."
