DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z February 28, 2026
SMOKE: Middle and Central Mississippi Valley… Fire were active throughout the Middle and Central Mississippi Valley this evening, producing numerous smoke plumes of various densities. In southern Illinois, southern Missouri, and northern Arkansas, multiple fires were observed generating light-to-heavy density smoke plumes moving towards the east. In central Oklahoma, multiple fires were observed producing plumes of light-density smoke drifting east across the state. In southeastern Oklahoma and west-central Arkansas, several fires were observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke plumes drifting towards the south. Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi… Multiple fires in Mississippi, central Louisiana, and southeastern Texas, including the Cypress Creek Fire, were observed producing light-to-heavy density smoke plumes drifting south towards the western Gulf. Nebraska… Scatter fire clusters were seen in Nebraska emitting light density smoke plumes towards the southeast. Cuba… Fires persisted across Cuba, producing an areas of light-to-moderate density smoke drifting northwest into the eastern Gulf, north towards the Florida Keys, and west into the Caribbean. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Gulf of America/Pacific Ocean... Smoke from widespread fire activity and remnant smoke from previous days, as well as aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities in central and southern Mexico, concentrated into a layer of light-density smoke that extended across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dispersed into the western Gulf, reaching the Lower Mississippi Valley and mixing with the smoke plumes in the region. Smoke extended along the western and southern coasts of Mexico and Central America, continuing west 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:http://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