Smoky smell in South Florida could be coming from fires in the Bahamas, forecasters say
Are you waking up to the smell of smoke, South Florida?
You may be smelling a fire in the northern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.
Weekend satellite images showed smoke moving along Grand Bahama Island, one of the area’s badly hit by Hurricane Dorian, according to Forecaster Robert Garcia.
At least two large fires were detected on the island Saturday afternoon, according to Local 10.
But, while the cause of the fires are unclear, Garcia said the weather service hasn’t heard any reports of a wildfire. He says it’s likely debris is being burned on the island and that the winds are carrying it to South Florida’s coast during the early morning.
The satellite image was too dark early Monday morning to tell if the fires were still burning, Garcia said, but he expects to have a better image once the sun rises more.
If the fires are still burning, your air won’t have a smokey tinge to it all day, said Brandon Orr, Local 10’s meteorologist.
“In the morning that smoke comes pretty close to the ocean, pretty close to the ground,” said Orr during a weekend forecast. “That’s why we’re smelling it in the morning — and once we heat up — that smoke lifts above us and that’s why we’re not smelling it anymore.”
Depending on the wind, both forecasters say those along the coast may continue to wake up to the smokey scent until the fires are extinguished.
