DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z January 8, 2026
SMOKE: The Carolinas/Virginia… Scattered fire activity in the Carolinas and southern Virginia were observed producing plumes of light-to-moderate density smoke drifting towards the east. Florida… Fires located in central Florida were observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke plumes that drifted offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba… Fires located in western and central Cuba were seen producing light-density smoke plumes drifting southwest into the Caribbean Sea. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America… An area of light-density smoke, consisting of residual emissions from scattered fire activity and aerosols from urban and industrial sources, was observed stretching from the coast of Texas to the Gulf Coast of Mexico, then extending southward before it crossed over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec reaching the Pacific Ocean while drifting west-northwest along Mexico’s Pacific coastline. GL 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