DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z September 17, 2026
SMOKE: Canada… An area of remnant light density smoke was observed extending from southeastern Nunavut across Hudson Bay and across Baffin Island and into Baffin Bay. California… The Dome and Floriston Fires were observed generating a light-to-heavy density smoke plume extending north-northeastward across western Nevada into Oregon. Southeastern CONUS… Isolated fires in were observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke plumes generally drifting generally drifting westward to northward. A broad area of light density smoke was observed from Texas eastward into the Atlantic Ocean and southward into the western Gulf of America. A thin area of moderate density smoke was observed from northeastern Texas extending northeastward into West Virginia, then southwestward into Alabama. Caribbean… A fire in southwestern Dominican Republic was observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke that drifted westward across Jamaica and into the western Caribbean Sea. Mexico/Gulf of America… A layer of light density smoke from fires and industrial activity was observed in the Gulf coastal region, extending eastward into the Gulf of America, Central America, and the Caribbean Sea, southward over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and westward over Central Mexico before drifting into the Pacific Ocean. An ear of moderate density smoke was observed drifting northwestward over the Gulf of California. GM 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 map: https://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