DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 18, 2026
SMOKE: New Mexico and Texas... The Seven Cabins Fire in Lincoln County, New Mexico continued to burn this evening, producing moderate-to-heavy density smoke before transitioning to light-density smoke as it extended northeastward before dissipating in northern Texas. Several fires in the panhandle of Texas were observed producing light-density fires drifting to the northeast. California… Several fires were observed producing light density smoke drifting westward. A fire observed on Santa Rosa Island was observed producing moderate to heavy-density smoke drifting south to southwestward. Remnant light-density smoke was observed over southern California and extending westward into the Pacific Ocean. Southeastern U.S... Scattered fires in southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, and central Florida were observed producing light-density smoke plumes drifting generally west-northwestward. Northeastern U.S… Fires in eastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey were observed producing light to moderate-density smoke drifting to the northeast. 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 across the western Gulf and continuing eastward over the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America before drifting into the Gulf of Honduras. Light-density smoke was also seen extending from the Mexican Gulf coast across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec before drifting into the Pacific off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Remnant light density smoke was observed drifting north and northeastward over the Gulf of America and extending across the southern Great Plains and over the eastern U.S. Moderate-density smoke was observed across central Honduras and along the Mexican Gulf coast extending into southern Texas and the western Gulf. DUST: Southwestern U.S./northwestern Mexico… Strong winds were observed lofting dust in the upper Texas panhandle blowing northeast into southwestern Kansas. Winds were also observed lofting sand from the Chihuahua Desert in northern Mexico blowing northeast into southern New Mexico. Baja California… Strong winds were observed lofting dust in northern Baja California blowing eastward into the Gulf of California. Monaghan 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