The Wooden Nutmeg

A minor redux of the Dark Day of 1780:

An article in the Cape Cod Times:

By Karen Jeffrey
Cape Cod Times
May 31, 2010

That smoke getting in your eyes, your hair and your homes today is coming from Canada, according to the National Weather Service.

Police and fire departments across the Cape are reporting numerous calls from people reporting the smell of smoke, and in some cases, seeing smoke drift across their property this morning.

However, the fires producing the smoke are not local, they are riding air currents down from our neighbor to the north – Canada.

Northwest winds are bringing smoke into Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont from wildfires that are burning in Canada, according to the National Weather Service.

People with respiratory problems were being advised to limit their outdoor activities.

According Canadian press reports there are more than 50 forest fires burning in the in Quebec, including eight that are out of control.

About 1,200 firefighters, including some from Maine, New Brunswick, New Hampshire and western Canada are working to put them out. Canadian newspapers report that Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources reports 73 active forest fires today, mostly north of Toronto. The province rates the forest fire danger “extreme” and has declared a restricted zone in the northeastern part of the province to reduce the danger of human-caused fire.

The weather service says the northwest winds are expected shift to the southwest on this afternoon and end the smoky conditions.

According Canadian press reports there are more than 50 forest fires burning in the in Quebec, including eight that are out of control.

And this was from the National Weather Service:

THE VERMONT AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN COORDINATION WITH THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR
ALL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VERMONT. AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY
MEANS THAT PARTICULATE CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY
APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS.

DENSE SMOKE FROM LARGE WILDLAND FOREST FIRES ACROSS CENTRAL QUEBEC
HAS DRIFTED ATOP THE REGION TODAY WITH VISIBILITIES LOCALLY AS
LOW AS 1 MILE BEING REPORTED.

It drifted in Brooklyn around 5:30 or so. Kind of funky seeing smoke everywhere you looked!