DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 7, 2026
SMOKE: Florida… The South Canal Fire in Lafayette County, Florida was observed emitting an individual heavy-density smoke plume before transitioning to light-to-moderate density smoke as it extended east-northeast towards the Atlantic, affecting multiple counties in northern Florida. Agricultural fires located near Lake Okeechobee were also observed emitting an area of light-density smoke drifting northeast into the Atlantic. Northwestern CONUS… Scattered wildfires in Oregon and western Idaho were observed generating individual smoke plumes ranging in various densities drifting towards the east. Fires in Washington State were also observed producing individual light-density smoke plumes drifting towards the northwest and north-northeast. Midwestern CONUS/Central Canada… Widespread wildfires in the Midwestern United States, southern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan were observed producing individual light-to-moderate density smoke plumes drifting towards the east and southeast. Cuba… A large area of light-density smoke consisting of smoke from fire activity, remnant smoke from previous days, and industrial emissions was observed in western Cuba drifting northwest into the Gulf, north into the Florida Strait, and southwest into the Caribbean. An area of light-density smoke in eastern Cuba was also observed drifting northeast into the Atlantic. 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. 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