DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z April 16, 2026
SMOKE: Midwestern CONUS… Widespread fires were detected across the Midwestern United States this evening. The fires were observed producing individual smoke plumes of various densities drifting towards the north. A cluster of fires located in eastern Kansas were observed individual smoke plumes coalescing into a larger area of light-to-moderate density smoke extending northward into southeastern Nebraska. Southeastern CONUS… Agricultural fires were observed producing individual, light-to-moderate density smoke plumes as the clouds dissipated across the Southeastern United States, with the majority of the smoke plumes drifting towards the northeast. Virginia… A fire located in Bath County, Virginia was observed producing a light-to-moderate density smoke plume moving northeast into West Virginia’s eastern panhandle and Washington County, Maryland. Southern Florida… Agricultural fires located in southern Florida were observed generating light-density smoke plumes drifting westward towards the Gulf. Cuba… Two large wildfires continued to burn in the province of Pinar del Rio this evening, with light-to-moderate density smoke traveling northwestward into the Gulf, westward into the Yucatan channel, and southwestward into the Caribbean. 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 west-central Gulf of America. The smoke was also observed moving southwestward into the Pacific Ocean off the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America. 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