DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 23, 2026
SMOKE: New Mexico/Central U.S.… The Seven Cabins Fire in Lincoln County, New Mexico continued to burn today, and produced a large plume of light-to-moderate smoke. Light-density smoke was observed extended into eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Remnant light=density smoke was observed from northern Texas to southern Saskatchewan, Canada. Northwest Territories/Central Canada… A fire located in the southern Northwest Territories continued today and produced a large plume of light to moderate smoke. Moderate smoke drifted east across central Nunavut, met with light smoke coming north from the central United States. Southern U.S. and Caribbean… A few fires in Florida were observed producing light to moderate-density smoking drifting generally northward. Fires in the north Bahamas and western Cuba were observed producing light density smoke drifting northwestward. Light remnant smoke was observed along the Gulf coast and across the majority of Florida. Northwestern U.S.… Isolated fires in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada produced small light to moderate-density smoke plumes that drifted generally eastward. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America... Fire activity, aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities, and remnant smoke from previous days contributed to a widespread layer of moderate-to-light density smoke and aerosols across Mexico and northern Central America. Moderate density smoke gathered along the Gulf coast of Mexico, and extended south over Guatemala and the Pacific coast. Light smoke spread west into the Pacific, and north over the western Gulf of America before meeting with multiple weather systems in the southern United States. Moderate-density smoke was observed across the majority of Honduras and Guatemala, extended north along the Mexican Gulf coast and into the western Gulf of America. DUST: Baja California… Light blowing dust was observed in southern Baja California and drifting into the Gulf of California. Monaghan 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