DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z September 23, 2026
SMOKE: Canada… A layer of light-density smoke from the fires in the Northwest Territories and from fires throughout Canada drifted eastward across Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Hudson Bay, and off the coast of Baffin Island before extending into Greenland. An area of moderate-density smoke was observed from northern Manitoba extending east-northeastward over the Hudson Bay. Pacific Northwest… Despite significant cloud cover, fires in north-central Washington and southern British Columbia were observed producing a layer of light-density smoke drifting northeastward before being obscured by clouds. An isolated fire in Vancouver Island generated a light-to-moderate density smoke plume drifting eastward towards Washington. The Sisi Fire was also observed producing a light-to-moderate density smoke extending southeastward within Washington. California… Moderate-to-heavy density smoke from the Dome Fire concentrated near the source and drifted northward, while a regional layer of light-density smoke persisted, extending southwestward across the state and into the Pacific Ocean. An area of light-to-moderate density smoke from a prescribed fire in Angel Island extended southeastward across the San Francisco Bay and southwestward into the Pacific Ocean. The Crawford Corral Rx Fire was also observed generating moderate-to-heavy density smoke extending northwestward and northeastward. Nevada… A fire in southern Nevada was observed producing a light-to-heavy density smoke plume extending northwestward. Southeastern CONUS… Several individual light-to-heavy density smoke plumes were observed in Alabama, the Lower Mississippi Valley, Georgia, and Oklahoma drifting westward or southwestward. A broad layer of light-density smoke spanned the Southeastern United States, extending northwestward into Kansas before continuing offshore into the Gulf of America. Mexico/Gulf of America… A layer of light-density smoke from agricultural burning and industrial activity were observed in the Gulf coastal region of Mexico, spanning eastward into the Gulf of America and southward across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and into the Pacific Ocean. An area of moderate-density smoke was observed in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec before extending northward into the Gulf of America and southward into the Pacific. A separate layer of light-to-moderate smoke drifted westward off the coasts of Sinaloa and Nayarit into the Pacific Ocean. BLOWING DUST: Caribbean… Blowing dust from the Sahara Desert was observed lofting over the Atlantic Ocean towards the Lesser Antilles. 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