DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z April 15, 2026
SMOKE: Southeast CONUS/Mid-Atlantic… Widespread agricultural fires produced primarily light-density smoke plumes across southeastern CONUS this evening. Fires were especially concentrated in southern Georgia, with medium density smoke observed near the Florida state line. A large area of light-density smoke was observed in the region stretching from the eastern Gulf of America, the Middle Mississippi Valley, and the Mid-Atlantic, which traveled east and far offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. Northern and Central Plains/Upper and Middle Mississippi Valley… Significant fire activity this evening produced an area of light-density smoke extending from Kansas to Minnesota. A number of individual plumes were observed across the region, which eventually merged into a larger area of smoke that traveled east into the Ohio Valley. Florida… Agricultural fires adjacent to Lake Okeechobee produced light-density smoke plumes this evening that merged with additional plumes in the region, traveling westward and extending into the Gulf of America. A large fire located in Okeechobee County produced medium-to-heavy density smoke that extended westward into neighboring counties. Cuba… Two large wildfires continued to burn in the province of Pinar del Rio this evening, with moderate-to-heavy density smoke dispersing far offshore into the central Gulf of America and the northern Yucatan Peninsula. Fires located in Isla de la Juventud produced individual light-density smoke that merged with the large regional plume from the Cuban mainland. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Gulf of America/Gulf Coast/Pacific Ocean… Smoke from fire activity, remnant smoke from previous days, and aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities contributed to a layer of light-density smoke that extended across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and into the central Gulf of America. Smoke merged with additional plumes originating from Cuba, which collectively traveled northwards, reaching the western Gulf Coast of the United States. Light-density smoke was also observed over the Guatemalan and Salvadoran Pacific Coasts, the Yucatan Peninsula and along most of central and southern Mexico before continuing westward over the Pacific. An area of medium-density smoke was detected over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 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