This image taken from the SHA camera at U.S. 50 and I-97 shows the smoke from the Virginia brush fire. (Photo from SHA video)
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department says their 9-1-1 call center is receiving calls from residents reporting smoke and haze throughout the county.Officials say the smoke is coming from a large brush fire from the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia.
Anne Arundel County Fire Dept. Capt. James Rostek told WBAL News that winds have shifted from the southwest, and the smoke is drifting into Maryland.
He says reports of smoke have come as far north as Pasadena.
He says this is not an emergency, and he expects the smoke to clear within 12 hours. He says forecasts of rain this afternoon and evening should clear the smoke sooner.
The smoke can be seen on State Highway Administration camera from along U.S. Route 50 at I-97.
Rostek says residents who see this smoke should only call 9-1-1 if they see black smoke or visible fire.
Image from satellite showing the smoke. SW winds have now shifted the smoke to the north, and into our area.
The Great Dismal Swamp is located in Southeast Viginia, near the North Carolina border.
The fire, which was caused by a lightning strike, has been burning for over a week and has consumed over 5600 acres thus far and is expected to smolder for weeks due to the high fuel content of the area.
