Friday, August 28, 2026

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z August 28, 2026

SMOKE:
Canada...
Despite significant cloud cover an area of moderate-density smoke
spread east from the Northwest Territories into Nunavut, while heavier
smoke drifted south along Hudson Bay across Manitoba towards Minnesota
and western Ontario. Heavy smoke also drifted northeast from southern
British Columbia and Alberta into Saskatchewan, and merged with smoke
spread from the northern territories.

Pacific Northwest/Central United States...
Wildfires across Washington and northern Oregon and Idaho generated
a layer of moderate-to-heavy density which drifted northeast over
northwest Montana, southern British Columbia and Alberta. Smoke circulated
across Canada and moved back into the United States west of the Great
Lakes. Moderate smoke gathered across the plains, and spread south into
the Gulf of America and Appalachia. a

Mexico/Gulf of America...
A layer of remnant light-density smoke from fires and industrial activity
was observed across western Mexico and Baja. Smoke drifted offshore into
the Pacific.


Mills


THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF
SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME DETACHED
FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE,
TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS.  AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE
ALSO DESCRIBED.  USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THESE
AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE SOURCE
FIRE IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE:

JPEG map:	https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
Smoke data:
https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons
Fire data:
https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO:
SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.