DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z September 23, 2026
SMOKE: Canada… Fires in the Northwest Territories were observed producing an area of moderate-density smoke that drifted eastward into Nunavut. Light-density smoke from these fires and from fires throughout the Pacific Northwest drifted eastward across northern Canada and off the coast of Baffin Island and extending into Greenland. California… The Dome Fire was observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke, largely remaining in the vicinity of the fire. A remnant area of light-density smoke extends southward. Southeastern CONUS… Several individual light-to-heavy density smoke plumes were observed in Alabama, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. A broad 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/Gulf of America… Fires from agricultural burning and industrial activity were observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke plumes drifting generally west to northwestward and a broad area of light density smoke along the Gulf and Pacific coasts of Mexico. Broad areas of moderate density smoke were observed from the southern Gulf of America and extending southward through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and into the Pacific Ocean, along the west coast of Mexico, and in the eastern Gulf west of Key West, Florida. 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 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