DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z April 28, 2026
SMOKE: Florida... Agricultural fires adjacent to Lake Okeechobee were observed producing individual light-density smoke plumes this morning. Smoke traveled primarily towards the east. The Highway 41 Fire, located in Miami-Dade County, produced a light-to-moderate density smoke plume that traveled southwest into neighboring Monroe County. Georgia… The Highway 82 Fire, located in southeastern Georgia, continued to burn this morning, producing a light-to-moderate density smoke plume that traveled southeast before changing direction and heading due north. Cuba… A few fires in central Cuba were observed producing light-density smoke plumes this morning. An area of remnant light-density smoke was also present over western Cuba. 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, and aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities contributed to a layer of light-density smoke/aerosol that extended north, encompassing the Gulf of America and continuing into the U.S. Gulf Coast and the lower Central United States. Moderate-density smoke was observed along the southwestern coast of Mexico. A separate moderate-density plume spanned along the eastern Gulf coast of Mexico, across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and into Central America. Light smoke continued to drift southwest into the Pacific off the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America. 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