DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z September 18, 2026
SMOKE: Canada… An area of remnant light density smoke was observed was observed extending northward from northern Ontario across the Hudson Bay into Nunavut, before drifting eastward into the Davis Strait. Another layer of remnant light-density smoke was observed drifting northeastward from southern Saskatchewan into central Manitoba. Washington… Fires in north-central Washington produced light-to-heavy density plumes which spread into the river valleys and dispersed, with some smoke reaching southern British Columbia. California… The Dome Fire in central California generated a large light-to-heavy smoke plume, Heavy smoke concentrated at the source, while light-to-moderate density smoke drifted northwestward. Southeastern CONUS… Isolated fires across the southeastern United States produced scattered individual plumes of light-to-moderate density smoke that generally drifted west and southwest. A broad layer of remnant light-density smoke appeared to circulate clockwise as it drifted towards the Gulf Coast, expanding across the southern Plains, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and the Northeastern and Southeastern states before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The smoke also merged with a layer of smoke drifting northward from Mexico. Caribbean… A fire in southwestern Dominican Republic was observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke that drifted west-northwestward across Haiti into the Caribbean Sea. Mexico/Gulf of America… A layer of light density smoke from fires and industrial activity was observed in Gulf coastal region, extending eastward into the Gulf of America, southward into the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and westward over central Mexico before drifting into the Pacific Ocean. 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 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