DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z February 22, 2007
Florida: The earlier mentioned small thin areas of smoke from fires in Charlotte and Glades Counties of southern Florida continued moving eastward across Lake Okeechobee and over Martin and Palm Beach Counties. Larger and somewhat thicker smoke plumes were observed moving eastward from fires located in Osceola County of central Florida as well as Hendry and Collier Counties of southern Florida. Louisiana: Thin to perhaps moderately dense smoke plumes were noted moving to the east and extending approximately 40-60 miles from fires in western Winn Parish of central Louisiana and central Vernon Parish of west central Louisiana. Texas: An impressive number of fires were detected primarily across the eastern half of Texas during the day. At least 20 smoke plumes were visible in satellite imagery across the state. Some of the more significant smoke plumes include... A moderately dense plume extended to the east from a fire in San Jacinto County of southeastern Texas. Locally dense smoke was spreading to the east from a fire in eastern Kendall County of south central Texas. Other fires in Bandera and Kerr Counties to the west of the Kendall County fire and over Hays County to the east were also contributing smoke which combined to form a rather large area over several counties of south central Texas. An area of moderately dense smoke was visible extending to the northeast from a fire near the Stephens/Palo Pinto County border of north central Texas. Oklahoma/Arkansas: The most significant smoke plumes of the day were visible from several of the tremendous number of fires detected across Oklahoma and Arkansas this afternoon. Over western Oklahoma a fire along the Ellis-Roger Mills County border was emitting a moderately dense to locally dense smoke plume which thinned out a bit as it spread several counties farther to the east. At least 2 fires in Atoka County of southeastern Oklahoma were responsible for moderately dense to locally dense smoke which moved in an east-southeasterly direction. A very dense burst of smoke was detected from a fire in Le Flore County of eastern Oklahoma which moved eastward across the border into western Arkansas. This smoke plume then joined with a moderately dense to locally dense smoke plume coming from a fire in Montgomery County of west central Arkansas. Finally, several moderately dense smoke plumes from fires in Johnson, Yell, and Logan Counties of northwestern Arkansas had combined into a larger area as it moved to the southeast. Southern California: Several fires in Imperial County of far southeastern California were emitting thin to perhaps moderately dense smoke which spread generally in a northerly direction. JS