Strong winds pushed smoke about 30 miles south from a field in Starke to Gainesville on Monday afternoon.
The smoke originated from a controlled burn at Camp Blanding, a training area for the Florida Army National Guard. A burn boss in the area received a permit to set fire to about 1,200 acres Monday morning, said Ludie Bond, the Florida Forest Service wildfire mitigation specialist.
Bond said controlled burns at Camp Blanding are common, but this time it affected Gainesville because winds were blowing south for most of the day. Winds were blowing hardest about 4 p.m., topping out at 14 mph, according to AccuWeather.
Smoke floated through campus Monday afternoon, and the sky was coated in a gray haze.
"Because it's such a large acreage that they're trying to burn, and because the wind is so strong, you're feeling the effects," Bond said.
A dispatcher from the Alachua County Combined Communications Center said residents from all parts of Gainesville called her Monday asking if there was a fire.
According to AccuWeather, winds are not projected to exceed 6 mph Tuesday.
