A Code Orange Air Quality Alert has been issued once again due to wildfires across the state. Burn bans also remain in effect for much of the region.
While the alert remains in effect, those with lung diseases – such as asthma – should avoid spending a lot of time outside.
The Code Orange Air Quality Alert continues today due to the dry conditions and wildfires across the southeast. @NC5 pic.twitter.com/4lLM513Lgy
— Lelan Statom (@NC5_LelanStatom) November 16, 2016
A burn ban has been issued for more than 50 counties across the state, including Coffee, Robertson, and Sumner counties, as wildfires continue to spark across Tennessee and other parts of the south.
Governor Bill Haslam’s burn ban includes no building of campfires or burning of brush, vegetation, household waste or construction debris.
If your county has been placed under a burn ban, that means no open flames anywhere outside. Anyone caught could face a fine or even jail time.
The ban would be in effect for the remainder of the month and is set to expire December 15.
Fire crews have been fighting more than 60 wildfires across 16,000 acres in the state.
The wildfires were particularly bad in Chattanooga where a Code Red Alert has been issued. More than 200 people have gone to area hospitals with breathing issues.