Smell of Smoke Caused by Great Dismal Swamp Fire

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The smell of the smoke in the air Saturday morning wasn't confined to Dundalk. According to the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, a large fire burning in Virginia has caused an unpleasant smell and haze to spread across much of Maryland.

The 6,000-acre brush fire, located nine miles southeast of Suffolk, VA, in the Great Dismal Swamp, has been burning since the evening of Aug. 4. It was started by a lightning strike, said Edward Hopkins, a MEMA spokesman, in a statement released Saturday morning. 

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire is the largest in the history of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Regrowth from a 2008 fire is fueling the current fire. Haze and smoke are expected to remain throughout the day.

MEMA officials recommend residents ensure that smoke is coming from a local fire before reporting an emergency. Residents with respiratory conditions should use caution during prolonged outdoor exposure.