GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Smoke from fires in Canada is drifting into several parts of the United States, including in Eastern North Carolina.

The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has issued a code red for parts of North Carolina, and code orange for counties in ENC.

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Code red is unhealthy, and code orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups. A haze in the air didn’t stop people from spending time at Greenville’s Town Common on Wednesday.

“We need to be outside and get a little bit of exposure of the outdoors,” said Daphile Lampa. “I noticed my nose is a little stuffy.”

Officials said this is an unusual case.

“Usually when we’re talking about wildfire impacts, those wildfires are a lot closer to us when we start seeing this code red level,” said Shawn Taylor, the public information officer for the N.C. Division of Air Quality. “The last time that we had this before this year was 2016, in which we had wildfires trigger a code red in North Carolina, and those wildfires are located in North Carolina. So this is a very unusual event.”

The smoke could cause some health concerns.

“That wildfire smoke is loaded with fine particulates,” said Elliot Tardif, a meteorologist with the N.C. Division of Air Quality. “When we talk about fine particulates, we’re talking about particulate matter that’s smaller than 2.5 microns. That’s the really, really tiny stuff that when you breathe it in, can get into your lungs, bother any respiratory issues that people may have, but also get into the bloodstream.”

They’re giving some tips to keep you safe.

“Listen to your body,” Taylor said. “If you’re feeling an elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, go back inside. If you can, reduce your time outside.”

These recommendations are especially important for people with asthma or existing health issues.

The code orange is expected to last until at least Friday.