DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200z September 02, 2006
California: Multiples fires burning in the Siskyou and Salmon mountains in northwest California are producing an area of thick smoke moving north NW into southwest Oregon. Thinner smoke from these fires is moving up along the Pacific Northwest Coastline and along western Oregon/Washington and across Vancouver Island before moving northeast across parts of British Columbia. Oregon: A fire in the Willamette National Forest (Lin county) is emitting an area of thick smoke moving northeast into Clackamas and Marion counties. Another fire burning in the Rogue River National Forest (Jackson county) is producing a plume of moderately dense smoke moving northeast across the region. From last night, the fire in the Malheur National Forest (Grant County) is emitting dense smoke moving northwest into Wheeler and Crook counties. Washington: Large fires burning in the counties of Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan and in the Wenatchee and Okanogan National Forest's are producing areas of moderately dense to very thick smoke moving northwest into southern British Columbia. The thickest smoke is associated with the fires in the Okanogan National Forest and has been burning for several weeks. In the Umatilla National Forest and in the counties of Garfield and Columbia, a fire is producing an area of thick smoke fanning toward counties to the north and southeast. The smoke from earlier in the day has been moving along the northern counties of Oregon and is not to far from the coastline. A fire in western Lincoln county is emitting moderately dense smoke moving west into Douglas and Grant counties. Idaho: In far northern Idaho a fire in the Kaniksu National Forest is producing an area of thin smoke moving south across the region. This fire was producing smoke last night. Fires in the Clearwater National Forest (Clearwater county) and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness are producing an area of moderately dense smoke moving mostly south. Large fires burning in the Payette (Idaho county), Challis and Boise (Custer and Valley counties) National Forest are producing a very large area of thick smoke fanning in multiple directions across western and central Idaho with the outer edges moving into southwest Washington and northeast Oregon. Their are multiple smaller fires burning in southern Idaho producing areas of thin smoke moving mostly west with a couple smoke plumes moving south. Montana/Wyoming: In the Gallatin National Forest a fire with dense smoke fanning in multiple directions is spreading across parts of southern Montana and northwest Wyoming. Smaller fires in northwest Wyoming burning in the Yellowstone National Park and the Bridger Teton National Forest are producing plumes of moderately dense smoke moving south and stretching across the western edges of the state. Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas Multiple fires possibly agricultural or prescribed are burning across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. Light smoke is associated with these fires. Great Lakes/Ontario/Quebec: An area of remnant smoke can be seen over parts of eastern Wisconsin, the upper peninsula of Michigan and Lakes Superior and Hudson. The smoke also covers portions of southeast Ontario, James Bay, the eastern portion of the length of Hudson Bay and western Quebec. The smoke over the US and the Great Lakes is mainly thin while much of the smoke over Canada is moderately dense. A separate area of thin smoke is mixed with a cloud mass over northwest Ontario and extreme eastern Manitoba. All of the smoke originated from the numerous fires in the western US. The smoke continues to moves towards the east. J Kibler