Wildfire smoke dims Asheville air, rain may bring relief soon

Wildfire smoke drifting across Western North Carolina has pushed Asheville’s air into the yellow zone, turning recess, trail runs and outdoor work into a health concern heading into Memorial Day weekend. For children playing outside, people with asthma or heart disease, and workers spending long hours in the open air, the change can matter right away.

Rain in the forecast may help clear the smoke, but only briefly if the wind shifts again. The National Weather Service is calling for showers and thunderstorms around Asheville through the holiday weekend, with repeated chances of rain on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day. That gives Buncombe County at least a shot at better air, but not a guarantee that smoky conditions are gone for good.

The air-quality warning is not a guess. Asheville and Buncombe County are covered by regulatory monitors, and the region also relies on a network of PurpleAir sensors that track particle pollution in real time as smoke moves in from nearby fires and changing wind patterns. NC DEQ says Buncombe County is one of only three North Carolina counties with a local air program, and the Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is led by Ashley Featherstone. Statewide, North Carolina’s monitoring network includes 73 monitors at 48 sites, with three monitoring sites operated by the Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency.

The health risk is tied to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which can reach deep into the lungs and aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions. NC DEQ warned on March 27, 2025, that smoke from South Carolina wildfires could affect Buncombe County and issued a Code Red forecast that day, a reminder that wildfire smoke can quickly raise local health risks even when the flames are elsewhere.

That matters in Asheville, where outdoor recreation, events and visitor traffic are part of the county’s economy as well as its identity. Smoky skies can cut into trail use, complicate holiday plans and force parents, coaches and employers to decide whether outside activity is worth the exposure. AirNow says wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in multiple states and urges the public to use its Fire and Smoke map to track local conditions as they change.

The long dry stretch has added to the concern. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported exceptional drought in western North Carolina during the broader period of dry weather, leaving the region more vulnerable when fires burn elsewhere. NC DEQ also says state law prohibits open burning of yard waste or land-clearing debris on Air Quality Action Days of Code Orange or above, a restriction that can become especially important if smoke lingers through the holiday weekend.