FIRST ALERT: Midlands back under Code Orange for air quality
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - DHEC has placed large portions of the Midlands back under Code Orange when it comes to air quality due to continuing wildfires in the Upstate and North Carolina.
State health officials say everyone should limit their time outdoors if possible, especially people with respiratory issues.
Smoke from the fires spread over the state Tuesday, settling into Columbia before daybreak and later making it hundreds of miles away to Charleston.
RELATED: See photos of the wildfires burning in western North Carolina.
A Code RED (Unhealthy) Air Quality Alert has been issued for the following counties in South Carolina: Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg.
A Code ORANGE (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) Air Quality Alert has been issued for the following counties in South Carolina:Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Georgetown, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, and York.
DHEC recommends people with respiratory health issues limit time spent outdoors to avoid the smoke. Take measures to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. Keep windows and doors closed. If operating an air conditioner/central heating unit, keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.
Forecasters expect the smoke to stay around until the wind shifts Thursday.
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