Poor air quality will exist today along the Great Smoky Mountains and the Knoxville and Chattanooga metropolitan areas due to smoke from wildfires. Everyone should pay attention to their body and limit prolonged outdoor activities. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)

A smoky haze continues in East Tennessee, and an air quality alert has been issued for much of the Tennessee Valley, including the Knoxville area, because of smoke from wildfires, officials said Monday.

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children were advised to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion, according to the forecast on AirNow.gov.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said unhealthy air quality conditions will continue across much of the area today.

“Plumes of smoke from wildfires will continue to linger in the atmosphere across the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian Mountains,” the National Weather Service said. “The smoke plumes will reduce visibilities and produce poor air quality conditions.” [Read more…]