DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z February 26, 2026
SMOKE: Florida… Agricultural fires located south of Lake Okeechobee were observed this evening, producing an area of light-density smoke extending northeast into the Atlantic Ocean. The National Fire, located in the Big Cypress National Preserve, produced heavy-density smoke that extended over much of Lee, Henry, and Collier counties, as well as light-to-moderate density smoke that drifted farther northeast, mixing with the smoke from the agricultural fires. There was also an area of remnant smoke drifting east-northeast off the coast of Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba… Fire activity and remnant smoke from previous days persisted across Cuba this evening, with areas of light-density smoke extending northwest into the eastern Gulf, north towards the Florida Keys, and southwest into the Caribbean Sea. The Bahamas… A fire located on the Bahamian island of Andros was observed producing a light-density smoke plume extending north-northwest into the Atlantic. Oklahoma… A fire in Delaware County, Oklahoma was observed generating a light-to-moderate smoke plume drifting towards the north. Chihuahua… A fire located in central Chihuahua was observed producing a light-density smoke plume drifting towards the southeast. 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 dispersed into the western Gulf. Smoke extended along the western and southern coasts of Mexico and Central America, continuing west into the Pacific Ocean. 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