Monday, September 15, 2025

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z September 15, 2025

SMOKE:
Canada…
Wildfires continued throughout the day in southern British Columbia,
central Alberta, and southern Northwest Territories. Light-to-moderate
smoke spread across the continent from BC to Newfoundland,
with some circulation south into the Dakotas, and eastern Great
Lakes. Thick-to-moderate density smoke concentrated in southeast Northwest
Territories, eastern Alberta, and western Saskatchewan, and moved to the
east as it dispersed. Visibility was limited by cloud coverage over the
Yukon, Nunavut, Manitoba, and Hudson Bay.

Washington…
Fires in western Washington persisted, generating moderate-to-thick
density plumes on the Olympic Peninsula and central Cascade Mountains
which spread to the west. Light smoke coverage engulfed the state,
spreading offshore and to the north, mixing with smoke from fires in BC
and western Canada.

California…
Moderate-to-light density smoke was observed near fires in central and
northern California. A large plume spread out from the central region,
reaching western Nevada.

Texas/Louisiana…
Light smoke gathered over east Texas and Louisiana, with some contribution
from smoke moving south from Canada as well as agricultural burns
throughout the Mississippi Valley.

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: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.