DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 6, 2026
SMOKE: Southeastern CONUS… Wildfires in northern Florida and southern Georgia were observed emitting a few individual smoke plumes ranging in various densities drifting towards the northeast. In particular, the South Canal Fire in Lafayette County, Florida was observed generating a light-to-heavy density smoke plume extending northeastward, affecting multiple counties in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. Some remnant smoke also reached eastern South Carolina. Oregon… Scattered wildfires in central Oregon were observed producing individual light-to-moderate density smoke plumes drifting towards the east and southeast. Cuba… A large area of light-density smoke containing remnant smoke from previous days’ fire activities and industrial emissions was observed drifting northwest into the eastern Gulf. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America... Smoke from fire activity, aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities, as well as remnant smoke from previous days contributed to a widespread layer of light-density smoke/aerosol that was observed extending north into the Gulf, with the northernmost extent being obscured by clouds from the frontal system over the southeastern United States, which is also acting to draw the smoke east-northeastward. Light-density smoke also extended across southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Central America before drifting eastward into the Gulf of Honduras and southwestward into the Pacific. Areas of moderate-density smoke/aerosol in southern Veracruz, Tabasco, and Campeche were also observed drifting into the Bay of Campeche. 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