Wildfire smoke Agency determination
Daily PM2.5 peaked at 127.3 µg/m³ near Greenville across 9 covered metros home to 14 million people. 5 metros recorded their worst day on record; 8 placed a top-ten day.
Counting the extra PM2.5 above each metro's typical day, this event handed the average affected resident ≈ 3.8 cigarettes. Across everyone living in the affected metros, that is the collective equivalent of ≈ 51 million cigarettes. An awareness illustration of outdoor exposure at 22 µg/m³ per cigarette (Berkeley Earth), counting only the event's ranked days; not a medical dose.
Why we think this happened
Qualified frozen evidence supports wildfire smoke as the broad cause and supports grouping 5 records into the same time-bounded occurrence.
Agency determination A government body issued a record naming this cause for this event: an NWS air-quality alert, a NOAA Storm Events record, or a state or local official archive.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Nov 8, 2016 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 8 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-08, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Nov 7, 2016 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 3 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-07, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Nov 11, 2016 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 17 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-11, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
See every retained source and limitation ↓
Sequence: Knoxville (Nov 7) → Greenville (Nov 11) → Augusta (Nov 11) → Chattanooga (Nov 14) → Atlanta (Nov 14) → Columbia (Nov 15) → Charleston (Nov 15) → Raleigh (Nov 18) → Durham (Nov 18)
Evidence path
A cause is more convincing when the record connects three things: something happened, the air mass moved toward the region, and local instruments responded. Here is how much of that chain is documented for this event.
Source or mechanism
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 8 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-08, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency…
View supporting source ↗Air-mass movement
Satellite and modeling analysis identifies substantial smoke emissions from Southern Appalachian wildfires over the southeastern U.S. during November 12-14, 2016, including the Chattanooga/Greenville regional episode.
View transport source ↗Local response
EPA monitors recorded the event across 9 metros. The peak daily concentration is roughly 5.8 cigarette-equivalents at the outdoor daily rate.
Inspect the pollutant and weather signals ↓Event autopsy
Before, during, and after the episode: nearby pollutant monitors and surface-weather stations show what changed. This context tests the “Wildfire smoke” explanation; it does not assign the cause by itself.
Knoxville, TN
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-11 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: Loudon Pope site
148% above nearby days
23% lower than surrounding days
59% higher than surrounding days
148% higher than surrounding days
59% higher than surrounding days
34% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
23% lower than surrounding days
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-11 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: Greenville ESC
229% above nearby days
37% lower than surrounding days
183% higher than surrounding days
229% higher than surrounding days
183% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
37% lower than surrounding days
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-11 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: South DeKalb
112% above nearby days
7% lower than surrounding days
79% higher than surrounding days
112% higher than surrounding days
79% higher than surrounding days
15% higher than surrounding days
10% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
7% lower than surrounding days
Chattanooga, TN-GA
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-11 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: Siskin
442% above nearby days
442% higher than surrounding days
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-12 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: CHARLESTON PUBLIC WORKS
182% above nearby days
25% lower than surrounding days
61% higher than surrounding days
182% higher than surrounding days
61% higher than surrounding days
58% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
25% lower than surrounding days
Columbia, SC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-12 to 2016-11-19 · PM2.5 target: BATES HOUSE
221% above nearby days
45% lower than surrounding days
182% higher than surrounding days
221% higher than surrounding days
182% higher than surrounding days
80% higher than surrounding days
44% higher than surrounding days
13% higher than surrounding days
19% lower than surrounding days
8% higher than surrounding days
6% lower than surrounding days
45% lower than surrounding days
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-08 to 2016-11-14 · PM2.5 target: TRENTON
90% above nearby days
25% lower than surrounding days
90% higher than surrounding days
56% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
25% lower than surrounding days
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-15 to 2016-11-21 · PM2.5 target: Durham Armory
139% above nearby days
222% higher than surrounding days
139% higher than surrounding days
222% higher than surrounding days
46% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Raleigh, NC
Monitor comparison window 2016-11-15 to 2016-11-21 · PM2.5 target: Millbrook School
138% above nearby days
74% lower than surrounding days
103% higher than surrounding days
138% higher than surrounding days
103% higher than surrounding days
113% higher than surrounding days
37% higher than surrounding days
91% higher than surrounding days
8% lower than surrounding days
9% higher than surrounding days
6% higher than surrounding days
74% lower than surrounding days
Source: U.S. EPA AirData daily observations and, where available, nearby ASOS/AWOS surface observations. Values are descriptive medians over the retained monitor set; missing measurements remain missing. Transport and source evidence remain separate layers because this instrument pattern does not assign a cause by itself.
Air-mass reconstruction
NOAA HYSPLIT traces the air arriving at each metro backward for 72 hours. Multiple arrival times and heights show whether the broad path is stable—or sensitive to assumptions about when and where the polluted layer arrived.
Air arriving near Knoxville
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-08
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Augusta-Richmond County
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-11
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-14
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Chattanooga
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-14
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-14
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Charleston-North Charleston
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-16
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Columbia
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-15
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Durham-Chapel Hill
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-18
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Air arriving near Raleigh
Peak-date arrivals · 2016-11-18
Each line begins 72 hours before arrival and points toward the metro. Color represents arrival height; repeated lines represent 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC arrival assumptions. A path can show where the air traveled, but it cannot prove which source added the PM2.5.
Episode peak
-- cigarettes
The smoke map's scale, replayed over this event: the surface interpolates between covered metros' daily records, framed to the affected region. Hover for a reading, click a metro to pin it to the card. Days a monitor did not report draw nothing.
Views from the selected metro
Select a metro on the map to see nearby cameras. Where an operator archive reaches the event, drag the divider to compare two moments, adjust either date and time, or play the available event-day frames. Camera imagery is visual context, not an air-quality measurement or proof of smoke.
No useful public camera views are currently available within 80 km of this metro.
| Metro | Peak PM2.5 | Cigarettes, whole event | Peak day | All-time standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 127.3 µg/m³ | 14.3 | Nov 14, 2016 | Worst day on record |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 105.7 µg/m³ | 4.8 | Nov 14, 2016 | Worst day on record |
| Knoxville, TN | 89.4 µg/m³ | 10.3 | Nov 8, 2016 | Worst day on record |
| Columbia, SC | 87.7 µg/m³ | 6.8 | Nov 15, 2016 | Worst day on record |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 84.3 µg/m³ | 3.8 | Nov 11, 2016 | Worst day on record |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 64.8 µg/m³ | 5.6 | Nov 16, 2016 | #3 of its top days |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 56.2 µg/m³ | 2.6 | Nov 14, 2016 | #18 of its top days |
| Raleigh, NC | 49.3 µg/m³ | 2.2 | Nov 18, 2016 | #4 of its top days |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 42.7 µg/m³ | 1.9 | Nov 18, 2016 | #6 of its top days |
"Cigarettes, whole event" totals a metro's ranked event days at 22 µg/m³ per cigarette: what a person outdoors there breathed across the event, as the illustration. "All-time standing" is where this episode's days sit in each metro's ranked record (worst-area measure, since 1999). Full local context is on each metro's Air Records page.
Public evidence library
Each card states what a source supports—and what it does not. Official records, research, reporting, community observations, and transparent inferences remain visibly different kinds of evidence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 8 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-08, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 3 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-07, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 17 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-11, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 25 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-11, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 21 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-11, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 2 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-14, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-14, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 25 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-14, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 20 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-16, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 122 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 7 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-14, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 23 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-16, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 116 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-16, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 133 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-14, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 3 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 49 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 49 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-16, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 48 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-16, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 31 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-15, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 48 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-18, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IT — Wildfire-U. S.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IT, Wildfire-U. S.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2016-11-18, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
An archived NWS Air Quality Alert for Columbia, SC, issued 2016-11-15T13:24Z, explicitly identifies wildfire smoke. IEM is the archive, not the official system of record.
NOAA issued a satellite-imagery smoke narrative during the November 8 regional southeastern wildfire episode; it supports grouping the Knoxville event with that smoke episode.
Satellite and modeling analysis identifies substantial smoke emissions from Southern Appalachian wildfires over the southeastern U.S. during November 12-14, 2016, including the Chattanooga/Greenville regional episode.
Rapid Reaction: Smoky Skies Create Unhealthy Air Quality
The State Climate Office identifies November 18-19, 2016 as the Triangle's prior multi-day Code Orange PM2.5 event and attributes it to smoke wafting from Appalachian wildfires.
Southeast's Air Quality Is Worse Than Some Chinese Cities Right Now, Thanks to Wildfire Smoke
Contemporaneous reporting documented wildfire-smoke haze and AQI above 150 at locations in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia on November 14.
FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Air quality alert for Lowcountry extended until Thursday
Contemporaneous reporting says South Carolina's air-quality alert for the Lowcountry was extended because ongoing wildfires were producing smoke over the region.
Visibility Guide to Smoke and Air Quality Now Available
The state environmental agency documented active western North Carolina wildfires, smoke transport downwind, and unhealthy particle pollution during the November 2016 episode.
Agency determination A government body issued a record naming this cause for this event: an NWS air-quality alert, a NOAA Storm Events record, or a state or local official archive.
This episode was grouped from the monitor record by the catalog pipeline and given its cause from the evidence listed above. It has not been individually reviewed and signed off, so its boundaries, cause, and name may change as evidence accumulates. Grouping policy common_sense_root_cause_grouping.v2. The cause label reflects the assembled evidence above, not an IAQng detection formula. If it is wrong, tell us.