DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0202Z February 20, 2008
Southeast to the Southcentral States: A large number of fires were detected over the entire region this afternoon and evening. Several of these fires exhibited smoke plumes with most of the smoke being low density in nature. High clouds that approached the region around sunset hindered the smoke analysis to a certain extent. Some of the more noteworthy plumes over the region were located in the following areas: Florida: An earlier fire over southeast Volusia county produced two notable puffs of smoke that moved to the southeast over the Canaveral National Seashore/Cape Canaveral area. Another fire over northern Osceola county produced a smoke plume that drifted south over Okeechobee county and toward the lake area. Lastly, several smoke producing fires were lined up along the Panhandle counties of Bay, Liberty and Wakulla. Smoke from these fires was drifting to the southeast over the northeast Gulf of Mexico. All of the smoke plumes were mostly low density plumes with the one exception being a moderate density plume emanating from the fire over Liberty county. Louisiana: Earlier today a fire over northern Grant parish appeared to develop a rather high density smoke plume that was expanding slowly in all directions from the point source. Shortly after the smoke plume developed, high clouds moved over the region hindering further analysis of the smoke plume. Texas: A fire very near the common county border of Crockett, Schleicher and Sutton produced a low to moderate density smoke plume that lifted off to the north rather rapidly. At sunset the leading edge of the plume was roughly over central Irion county. Hanna