Heavy smoke in metro area & around N.M.

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Thursday evening, heavy smoke is being reported across much of western and central New Mexico including the metro area.

A good majority of the smoke has cleared out as of Friday morning, but the lingering amount is still trapped against the Sandia Mountains and in Tijeras Canyon.

People with allergies or respiratory problems should shut their windows, turning off their swamp coolers, and avoid being outside. Please be aware that visibility on NM roads and highways from W. NM through the Rio Grande Valley up to NE NM is very poor.

This smoke is the result of large fires that became extremely active Thursday in eastern Arizona . The city of Albuquerque is requesting not to call 911 or 311 to report smoke as callers are clogging emergency telephone lines.

The Albuquerque Fire Department has been checking the foothills, bosque, and open space areas and no significant fires have been found. AFD is also in contact with New Mexico State Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service and they too report no significant fires in the local area. Best information indicates that the smoke is coming in from the Wallow Fire in Arizona.

The National Weather Service reports that weather conditions on Friday will most likely be favorable for smoke to continue to impact western, northern and mid Rio Grande Valley areas of the state.

The following information is from the National Weather Service:

The Wallow fire near Alpine Arizona grew significantly Thursday releasing an extensive and far reaching plume of smoke across western and northern New Mexico; as of sunset the smoke had migrated on southwest winds aloft into the Rio Grande Valley.

The smoke may settle in valley and low-lying areas Thursday evening as winds diminish and could become more concentrated overnight.

The Albuquerque metro area will be impacted as well as other western and northern New Mexico communities.

The weather pattern is not expected to change significantly Friday; therefore smoke may continue to drift over western and northern New Mexico but should become less concentrated by afternoon.