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With residents seeing and smelling the smoke from the Glades Mulch Fire in St. Lucie County for weeks, first responders and local health officials said they have received an increase in the number of patients with pulmonary issues.

"A number of my patients who I’ve seen this week have been telling me how difficult it is. In fact, several coworkers have told me that even in medical facilities, they’re able to sense the smoke, scent... up in Port. St Lucie… and our health care facilities up there," Dr. Evelio Sardiña, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, told WPBF 25 News.

A lightning strike sparked this 28-acre mulch fire in late August, and it's been producing layers of smoke in the air.

"Patients are calling, they’re concerned, they’re having difficulty breathing, and it’s affecting a vast majority of people in our community," Sardiña said. "The smoke in and of itself is an aero irritant. So it produces irritation of the airways, which leads to cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, runny nose."

Your Neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

For people with asthma or other respiratory-related issues, health experts offer helpful tips.

"Take your medications as prescribed. Change your air filters frequently in your homes to try to increase quality of the air that you’re breathing," Sardiña said. "For my patients on oxygen, contact your medical equipment company to see if your home concentrator or portable concentrator has a filter that can be changed. Then change it frequently to improve the quality of air that you’re breathing."

County leaders said they plan to use reclaimed water, with five to six million gallons a day across the more than two dozen acres of mulch.

"If you’re in athletics, and you notice that your child is normally at the front of the pack, and is now running towards the middle or back of the pack? That’s a little bit of a red flag...to say, 'maybe if you have underlying asthma, you should increase your treatments or talk to your doctor about increasing your treatments,'" Sardiña said.

Officials said if you are experiencing chest congestion, tightness in your chest, wheezing, or increased cough, then you should seek medical care.

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