Air Quality Summary Report – Rough Ridge Wildfire

Chattahoochee National Forest

November 12, 2016

Rough Ridge Fire Information: 470.208.2839

Weather Forecast

An area of high pressure will build into the region from the north and bring east to northeast winds today and freezing temperatures tonight. Maximum Temperature is 62F. Minimum Relative Humidity will 30%. Winds are expected to be East 6 – 11 mph then becoming 4-9 mph around 11am. Smoke will start settling in low areas around 7pm.

Yesterday: The monitor in Ellijay recorded hourly concentrations classified as very unhealthy, while drifting smoke resulted in a moderate AQI in Chatsworth and Blue Ridge.

Today: The upper level winds (5 to 7 miles per hour) are slowly dispersing the smoke in a southwesterly or westerly direction. Communities in the flow of the smoke may experience very unhealthy air quality.

Smoke impacts should be low in most of the communities listed below with the predicted weather pattern and anticipated fire behavior.

Tomorrow: Winds speeds will increase slightly (upper level winds between 6 to 8 miles per hour) and switch direction from Chatsworth/Eton to Benton and Ocoee and then Blue Ridge. These communities may experience an AQI of code orange or red.

Community

Yesterday’s

AQI

Today’s

AQI

Tomorrow’s

AQI

Comments

McCaysville

No monitor

Good

Winds will disperse the smoke away from McCaysville.

Blue Ridge

Moderate

Good

Unhealthy

Smoke will disperse towards Blue Ridge after the sun sets on Sunday.

Ellijay

Very Unhealthy

Good

Winds will disperse the smoke away from Ellijay.

Chatsworth and Eton

Moderate

Very Unhealthy

Unhealthy

Today, already recorded hourly concentrations classified as very unhealthy. Smoke from wildfire dispersing towards Chatsworth and Eton today and a portion of tomorrow.

Benton and Ocoee, TN

Good

Unhealthy for

Sensitive Group

Early tomorrow morning the winds shift toward Benton and Ocoee, TN.

Disclaimer: Weather and fire activity may change quickly and alter these air quality predictions. AQI estimates for the communities do not represent a full 24-hour period but, rather, reflect a period within the day where smoke impacts would be greatest.

Air Quality Index

What the Index means for your health with regards to particulates from smoke

Good

None

Moderate

Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people.

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.

Unhealthy

Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects.

Very Unhealthy

Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

Hazardous

Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

Lisa Pritchard

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View Comments

Gary Park says:

November 13, 2016 at 6:00 pm

Who is ultimately responsible for having made the decision to NOT suppress the wildfire in a SEVERELY drought stricken area when it was at a controllable stage covering 10 acres?

The fire area now exceeds 13,000 acres and is growing at a rate exceeding 1000 acres per day. The residual environmental and individual damage is compounding every hour.

Perhaps relieving this individual of his/her responsibilities and reaccessing the protocol and operating procedures for Wildfire conditions would be in order.

Will our Federal Government Agency have the veracity to take action on the responsible individuals?