Environmental Impacts:

• The smell of smoke and haze could be seen in central Florida Tuesday morning, and officials say it's due to brush fires burning as far away as Georgia.

• With low pressure off the Southeastern Coast, northerly and northeasterly wind directions and cooler temperatures near the ground have trapped smoke in the air, a condition experts don't expect will fully clear until Wednesday evening.

• The smoke comes from 238 active fires, most of them in northern and central Florida. The biggest is a 16,000 acre fire in Bradford County, FL.

• Two additional fires burning for weeks in Georgia’s Okeefenokee Swamp jumped the state line overnight, crossing Highway 2 and threatening homes in the area.

• Public health officials warn that people with respiratory or hearth conditions should stay indoors with the air conditioning running.

• Tips for your viewers:

  In areas with UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS air quality, sensitive or susceptible persons, such as those with heart or lung disease, should minimize outdoor activity.

  In areas with UNHEALTHY air quality, everyone should discontinue prolonged, vigorous outdoor exercise lasting longer than one hour.  Examples of the kinds of outdoor activities that should be avoided are calisthenics, basketball, running, soccer, football, tennis, swimming laps, and water polo.  Susceptible persons, such as those with heart or lung disease, should avoid outdoor activity entirely.

  • Stay indoors.  Limit your exposure to unhealthful air quality conditions as much as possible. Keep your windows and doors closed. Use your air conditioning system, and place it on recirculation mode if available to avoid bringing outdoor air into the home. Remember to change your filters regularly. Indoor HEPA air filters can reduce the levels of particles in your home.

  • Play indoors. Choose indoor options for children that live and play in areas with unhealthful pollution levels. Schools and day care centers should limit or cancel outdoor activities and events that involve prolonged exposure and strenuous exercise or sports participation.

  • Reduce your activity. Reducing your physical activity lowers the amount of polluted air you breathe.

  • Consult your physician. If you suffer from a heart or lung ailment, monitor your physical condition closely and talk with your doctor. He or she can advise you on treatment and whether and when you should leave the area. Call your doctor immediately if your condition worsens.

  • Have a plan. People with chronic diseases should have an adequate supply of medications (5 days or more). Asthmatics should have a written asthma management plan available.

Supplementary Material:

NASA's TERRA Satellite:

• The Terra spacecraft (formally known as EOS-AM) was successfully launched on Saturday, December 19, 1999 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in Lompoc, California. It is flying at an altitude of 705 km (438 miles) observing the Earth. The life expectancy of the Terra mission is 6 years. It will be followed in later years by other EOS spacecraft that take advantage of new developments in remote sensing technologies. [Terra 3D Animation], [Animation showing Terra Orbit]

• Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, and thus it passes over us at the same local time every day, approximately 10:30-10:45 a.m.