A Code Orange Air Quality Alert is in effect for NC Thursday: Here's what that means Smoke can be seen as a 'haze' here in the Carolinas and will cause air quality problems for some areas. Author: Chris Mulcahy Updated: 10:23 PM EDT July 22, 2021 CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Code Orange Air Quality Alert is in effect for most of North Carolina Thursday due to smoke and haze in the atmosphere from wildfires that are burning in Canada and the western United States. The effects from those wildfires are being seen as far east as the Carolinas, where 100 North Carolina counties are under an Air Quality Alert Thursday. First Warn forecaster Larry Sprinkle said the smoke and haze will be hanging around at least another day or two.