DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z April 26, 2026
SMOKE: Southeastern CONUS/Georgia/Atlantic Ocean… Widespread fires were detected across the Southeastern and Midwestern United States this evening; however, minimal smoke plumes were observed in the region due to significant cloud cover. Earlier this afternoon, smoke emissions ranging in various densities from the ongoing Highway 82 Fire in southeastern Georgia were observed drifting eastward into the Atlantic Ocean before being obscured by the clouds. A layer of light-density smoke from yesterday’s fire activity in the southeastern CONUS was also observed lingering in the North Atlantic. Southern Florida… Agricultural fires located south of Lake Okeechobee were observed producing an area of light-density smoke moving northeast into the Atlantic. Cuba… A fire in western Cuba was observed producing a light-density smoke plume drifting northeast into the Atlantic. An area of remnant smoke from yesterday’s fire activity into in western Cuba was also observed drifting north and northwest into the Gulf. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America/South-Central CONUS… Smoke from fire activity across southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Central America, remnant smoke from previous days activities from the same areas, and aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities contributed to a layer of light-density smoke/aerosol that extended north across the Gulf into the lower Central United States. The smoke also extended across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and into Central America before drifting southwest into the Pacific off the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America. BLOWING DUST: Chihuahua/New Mexico/Texas… Strong winds were observed lofting dust from the Chihuahuan Desert in northern Chihuahua this evening. The dust was transported northeast across southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. 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