Hazy skies in Warren County may be coming from much further north. Forest fires continue to burn in Quebec.
The forest fires were started this past Tuesday by thunderstorms, and have been fueled by dry conditions. So far, no one has been hurt, but more than 1,300 people have been evacuated from their homes. And the fires are actually affecting people closer to the Capital Region.
Sounds of summer filled the air in Lake George Memorial Day. But it was something else in the air that was catching people's attention.
"I saw it over there. It's pretty cloudy," said Max Lombardo, a tourist.
"You can't see the other end of the lake and last time I came you could," said Steve Enright, another tourist.
"Maybe just barbeques out on Memorial Day," said Lombardo.
But it's no picnic that is creating the smokey haze. It's more than 50 forest fires in Quebec, burning about 100,000 acres.
Smoke from those fires is drifting nearby, seen in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, even Lake George and Glens Falls. The Warren County dispatch says people are calling, concerned the smoke is coming from fires nearby.
Hugh Johnson is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany. He's tracking the plumes of smoke.
"There was just enough northerly wind that brought the smoke down," said Johnson.
"It seems like once a decade. It happened eight years ago, I remember it happening back in the 1980's so it's not too often," he said.
But when it does, he says air quality is affected. Health experts are urging the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma and pulmonary disease to stay inside. The people we spoke with say they feel fine. But the news is still surprising.
"We weren't expecting that we just came for vacation," said Kerri Sheehan, a tourist.
Johnson says the good news could come with the weather. Expected showers and winds out of the south tonight could help clean up the skies.
