Wildfires throughout St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans East are pushing smoke to New Orleans areas, filling indoor and outdoor air with a foul smell on Friday morning. 

Tulane University’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response said in an Instagram post that it is aware of the smoke in the greater New Orleans area caused by regional marsh fires.

Wind has shifted to the northeast, where a fire has been burning in New Orleans East for weeks. A new marsh fire started on Wednesday in St. Bernard Parish.

In New Orleans and Chalmette, the air quality is “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” including children, people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

Louisiana has recently been in a record-breaking drought and is currently in an “exceptional drought,” which makes wildfires spread even more rapidly.  

The fires created burning smells in Algiers, Marrero, the French Quarter, the Central Business District and Treme.

The smoke can cause eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue and wheezing. NOLA Ready recommends wearing a mask to reduce smoke exposure.

The solution to the wildfires and drought is rain, yet the forecast for the next few weeks has zero chance for rain.

Although the solution to the drought and fires is rain, the next few weeks have no forecast of rain.