[Eska]

Last summer, we were surrounded by several burns each 30x40 miles across. When you first see that low coal black cloud approaching, blocking out all the sunlight; it does look like the devil himself. Couldn't see 10 feet and was like dusk at mid-day; also could not breath outside.

I can just imagine what went through their heads 200 years back.

[randog]

That was my first thought--forest fire.

[SunkenCiv]

The forest fire explanation has always appeared to be the best one, and until someone comes up with a way for a volcanic cloud to remain just wide enough to not be reported outside a fairly narrow piece of the Eastern Seaboard, after having travelled more than 2000 miles (the nearest volcano is probably more distant than this), there is no resort to a volcanic eruption as an explanation for this.