DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z October 26, 2026
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S.… Multiple fires in the Carolinas and Georgia produced individual smoke plumes of varying density drifting southwestward, while fires in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri generated light-to-heavy density smoke plumes drifting west to north. A broad area of light-density smoke was observed across the Southeastern U.S. before drifting northeastward into the Atlantic Ocean and southward into the Gulf of America. The smoke may include remnant smoke from agricultural fires in the region yesterday. Saskatchewan/Manitoba/North Dakota… Fires in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and North Dakota were observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke plumes drifting from west to north. British Columbia… Fires in southern British Columbia were observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke plumes moving northward, while a fire in west-central portion of the province generated light-to-heavy density smoke drifting southward. California… Fires in the northern Central Valley of California were observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke drifting northward, while a fire in the central portion of the state produced a localized layer of light-to-heavy density smoke. A broad layer of light-density smoke was observed along the coast of California before drifting westward into the Pacific Ocean and southward towards Mexico. Arizona… A fire in central Arizona was observed producing a light-to-moderate density smoke plume extending eastward. Mexico… A layer of light-density smoke was observed along the western coast of Mexico and drifting southwestward into the Pacific Ocean. A layer of light-to-moderate density smoke from fire activity in southern Mexico and Central America was also observed in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec before drifting northwestward into the Gulf of America and southward 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