DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z MARCH 7, 2006
Florida: Numerous agricultural fires over central Florida just north of Lake Okeechobee were seen producing smokes plumes from the vicinity of Manatee county east-northeast to the Melbourne area. Some of the more noteworthy smoke plume producing fires were located over Cape Canaveral, southern St Lucie and eastern Highlands county. Plumes with these individual fires were extending east approximately 25-50 miles from their respective fires. Georgia/South Carolina: A large number of fires was noted especially over southeastern Georgia and to a lesser extent over South Carolina. The most significant smoke plume with the activity over the region was associated with a fire near Minneta in Jasper county, Georgia. The relatively thin smoke plume extended nearly 100 miles to the east/southeast into portions of Burke county, Georgia. Other notable smoke plumes were drifting eastward from fires over Charlton county, Georgia and Newberry county, South Carolina. Arkansas/Louisiana/Mississippi: Widespread agricultural fires were noted over the entire region. The significant smoke plumes are listed below: - Several fires were noted along the coastal Mississippi counties of Hancock/Harrison/Jackson with smoke plumes extending 50-100 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. - Fires over northern and southern Natchitoches in Louisiana were producing moderately dense smoke plumes that appeared close to merging at sunset into a larger area of smoke from northern Natchitoches into northern Vernon and Rapides parishes in Louisiana. - One of the more notable smoke plumes over Arkansas was associated with a fire over Montgomery county. The smoke plume was seen expanding rapidly southeastward into Pike and Clark counties before becoming obscured by high clouds earlier this afternoon. A second smoke plume was seen moving southeast from the fire near Sulphur Springs. The plume was nearly 30 miles long and fanned out to nearly 20 miles wide at it's southeastern extent. Hanna