Thursday, September 11, 2025

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z September 11, 2025

SMOKE:
Western Canada/Pacific Northwest...
Wildfires continue to burn across western and northern Canada and the
Pacific Northwest today. The smoke from these fires was seen moving in
multiple directions. The thickest smoke, emanating from fire in southern
British Columbia, was drifting northeastward while also settling in
many of the valleys of the mountainous terrain in southern British
Columbia. Smoke from southern BC, coupled with smoke from fores in
Washington State, northern Idaho, and far western Montana, was observed
extending southward along the Pacific Coast as far south as Los Angeles
before curving back ashore and moving over the deserts of southern
California and southern Nevada.
Meanwhile, smoke from BC, coupled with smoke from wildfires burning in
the Northwest Territory, northern Alberta, and central Saskatchewan,
was also seen moving east-southeastward then eastward across central
Canada and over Hudson Bay. Smoke of the smoke is analyzed as thick
over central Canada, but much of the observed smoke was more moderate
in density. Active smoke emissions across northern Alberta were moving
north until a wind shift began moving smoke east-northeastward, as had
been the case for smoke from fires in west-central Saskatchewan all
afternoon. Remnant smoke had been observed as far east as the Maritime
Provinces of eastern Canada.

California…
The Garnet fire in California continues to burn and emit moderate to
thick smoke. The smoke was moving northward as far as Lake Tahoe with
some smoke also settling in the far eastern San Joaquin Valley moving
west-northwestward.

Southeastern United States/Mississippi Valley…
Widespread agricultural fire activity was observed across the
Southeastern United States and Mississippi Valley contributed to an area
of light density smoke plumes that were moving southeast to southwest.
Some residual smoke from yesterday’s agricultural burning activity
and a small amount moving southeast from Canadian wildfires .

Central United States…
Widespread agricultural fire activity was observed across Oklahoma,
Kansas and western Missouri contributed to an area of light density
smoke plumes that were moving northward.

Hosley


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:http://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.