DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z October 9, 2026
SMOKE: Southern and Central Plains… Numerous individual fires were observed burning throughout the Mississippi Valley and southern United States this evening, concentrated in Arkansas and Louisiana. Localized moderate-to-heavy density smoke plumes from these fires drifted northwestward and contributed to a layer of medium-density smoke over Arkansas and western Mississippi. A regional layer of remnant medium-density was also observed over Missouri and central Illinois. A broader area of light-density smoke covered much of the central United States. This light-density smoke drifted southward into northern Mexico and along the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana, extended westward as far as central Montana, and drifted northeastward across the Midwest and over the Canadian border into Ontario. California… Several fires burning northwest of Sacramento were observed producing moderate-to-heavy density smoke plumes that dissipated locally in all directions. Smoke from these fires contributed to a layer of light-density smoke that drifted northwestward across northern California and into southern Oregon before drifting southwestward over the Pacific Ocean. Western United States… A fire in central Utah was observed producing a plume of light-to-moderate density smoke that drifted east-northeastward within the state. Two fires in northern Arizona produced a light-to-heavy density smoke plume that drifted northeastward, with one plume extending into southern Utah. Baja California… A fire in western Baja California continued to burn this evening, producing a light-to-moderate density smoke plume that drifted southward. 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