DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z February 25, 2026
SMOKE: Southern United States… Widespread fire activity this evening produced a significant number of smoke plumes throughout southern CONUS. Plumes of light-density smoke were observed across the Gulf Coast, the Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and the Southeast. Moderate-density smoke was observed from fires located in western Arkansas, emanating to the northeast over Scott and Logan counties. Moderate-to-heavy-density smoke was observed across central and southern Alabama, originating near the border of Hale, Bibb, and Tuscaloosa Counties. Agricultural fires across Georgia and South Carolina produced extensive light-density smoke that traveled towards the northeast. Florida… Agricultural fires south of Lake Okeechobee produced multiple light-density smoke plumes, some of which extended south within the state and toward the straits of Florida. The National Fire, located in southern Florida, produced moderate-to-heavy density smoke that traveled to the southwest, affecting Collier and Monroe counties. Cuba… Extensive agricultural fires in western and central Cuba produced primarily light-density smoke plumes this evening that drifted southwest into the Caribbean Sea. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Gulf of America/Pacific Ocean... Smoke from widespread fire activity and remnant smoke from previous days, as well as aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities in central and southern Mexico, concentrated into a layer of light-density smoke that extended across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dissipated before reaching farther north into the Gulf of America. Smoke extended along the western and southern coasts of Mexico and Guatemala, continuing west into the Pacific Ocean. Gaskill 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