N.C. wildfire smoke unnerves Virginians

NORFOLK, Va., June 11 (UPI) -- Dispatchers say a big North Carolina wildfire produced so much smoke that they were deluged with frantic calls from areas of Virginia where there was no fire.

The smell of smoke was strong enough that a lot of folks in the Norfolk area worried that new fires had broken out in their neighborhoods, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

The smoke came from a stubborn wildfire in neighboring North Carolina that had blackened about 63 square miles and blew into the Norfolk area when the wind shifted.

"Smoke conditions and the smell of smoke is getting strong," Norfolk Fire-Rescue spokesman Jack Goldhorn said Tuesday night. "We are getting a high number of calls from residents in regards to the smell of fire."

The flood of calls was heavy enough that the fire department had to send out fewer trucks to each call in order to spread out their resources.