DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z September 22, 2026
EDIT: Edited timestamp and header information. SMOKE: Pacific Northwest… Fires in southern British Columbia, Vancouver Island, north-central Washington, and northern Oregon were observed producing moderate-to-heavy density smoke plumes that drifted northeast and southeast. Moderate-density smoke concentrated near the sources of these fires, while light-density smoke drifted northeastward to join with a larger layer of light-density smoke that covered much of northern Canada. Northern Canada… Fires in the Northwest Territories were observed producing a localized area of moderate-to-heavy density smoke that drifted eastward. Light-density smoke from these fires and from fires throughout the Pacific Northwest drifted eastward across the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nunavut, before continuing southeastward across the Hudson Bay and into Manitoba, Ontario, and western Quebec. California… Heavy-density smoke from the Dome Fire concentrated near the source and drifted eastward. Moderate-density smoke from this fire was observed traveling southward, while a regional remnant layer of light-density smoke persisted, extending southward across the state and into the Pacific Ocean. Southeastern CONUS/Gulf of America… Numerous individual moderate-to-heavy density smoke plumes were observed in Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia this evening. A remnant layer of medium-density smoke from yesterday’s fires extended southwestward from southern Tennessee, covering much of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Gulf coast of Texas. A broader layer of light-density smoke spanned the Southeastern United States, merging with smoke over the Gulf of America before continuing offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. Mexico/Pacific Ocean… Fires throughout Tabasco and Veracruz produced localized heavy-density smoke plumes that dispersed locally. An isolated fire in the western Yucatan Peninsula was observed generating a moderate-density smoke plume extending that drifted westward. A layer of moderate-density smoke from fires and industrial activity was observed spanning the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Bay of Campeche and the Pacific Ocean. A layer of light-density smoke from fires and industrial activity was observed in the Gulf coastal region of Mexico, spreading eastward across the Bay of Campeche and southward across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, ultimately drifting into the Pacific Ocean. A separate layer of light-density smoke was observed over Baja California Sur, drifting southwestward over the Pacific Ocean. Marrs 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