What’s that smell? CT hit with smoky odor, haze from Massachusetts wildfire
Local fire departments say they’re receiving an influx of calls about a smoky odor.
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Air quality in the Northeast is usually pretty good, but the last few days have been different.
“I was asking people, is there a forest fire going around?" Fairfield's Martin Katz says. "I didn’t get an alert on my phone or anything like last time."
Local fire departments say they’re receiving an influx of calls about a smoky odor.
“It smells like brush," Bridgeport Fire Chief Lance Edwards says. "It smells like wood burning which is basically brush, trees, leaves."
The smell is coming from a 1,000-acre wildfire currently burning in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, which is about 20 miles north of the Connecticut border.
"People think that the fire is right next to them," Fairfield Fire Department's Interim Deputy Chief Patrick Barry says. "The pressure system is holding the air down, and the way the air currents are working, it’s actually funneling the smoke right down into Fairfield County."
The smell combined with a thin layer of visible haze, is reminiscent to what Connecticut residents endured during the Canadian wildfires in 2023.
“This year, you have a couple hundred acres burning," Chief Edwards says. "But there were thousands of acres burning in Canada, so that’s the big difference."
Experts say the public is not in any danger at the moment, but even with rain in the forecast, officials are urging people to stay vigilant.
“One rainstorm is not going to save us from this drought," CT DEEP Chris Martin says. "We’re not 100% certain it will remove the fire danger."
There are still burn bans in place for nearly 100 municipalities in the state, including in Fairfield and Bridgeport.
“If you see fire or you see smoke," Interim Deputy Chief Barry says. "Absolutely call 911."
