DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z April 18, 2026
SMOKE: Southeastern CONUS… Agricultural fires were active across much of the southeastern CONUS this evening; however, due to significant cloud cover across into the eastern and southeastern regions, only a few smoke plumes were detected in southern Georgia and Florida via satellite imagery. A notable fire located in Clinch County, Georgia was observed producing a localized heavy-density smoke plume before transitioning to light-to-moderate density smoke as it extended eastward into Ware County and southeastward towards Georgia-Florida state border. Fires located south of Lake Okeechobee were also observed producing an area of light-density smoke drifting towards the north. Kansas/Oklahoma… A cluster of agricultural fires located in eastern Kansas was observed producing individual light-density smoke plumes that coalesced into a larger light-density smoke plume while drifting southeast into northeastern Oklahoma and west-central Missouri. Fires in northern Oklahoma were also observed generating light-density smoke plumes drifting southeast across the state. Cuba… Two large wildfires continued to burn in the province of Pinar del Rio this evening and was observed producing a light density smoke plume. The smoke traveled west into the Yucatan channel and north into the Gulf. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Gulf of America/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 western Gulf of America. The smoke was also observed moving southwestward into the Pacific Ocean off the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America. Fires located in the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala were also observed producing individual light-to-moderate density smoke plumes traveling northwest, mixing with the broader layer of light-density smoke. 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