DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z May 2, 2008
New Mexico/Texas: A massive fire in eastern Pecos county Texas has moved rapidly and produced a large plume of dense to very dense smoke that is moving east and has reached the Colorado river in San Saba county by sunset. A fire in northern Otero county New Mexico south of Ruidoso has a plume of moderate to dense smoke moving to the east and has reached the Texas border. The fire in Torrance County, New Mexico, less intense today than yesterday and has a plume of mainly light smoke that extends from the fire eastward and then northeast into the north central Texas Panhandle. There are also extensive areas of blowing dust seen across much of southern New Mexico and far west Texas extending to the east and northeast across the Midland area and into the Red River Valley between Childress and Wichita Falls. A fire in northern Chihuahua state in Mexico has a plume of light smoke extending to the east and nearly reaching Presidio county Texas. Florida: Several fires in Florida were producing plumes of smoke that were all moving to the west-northwest. One fire was in the Canaveral National Seashore near Titusville and its plume extended across southern Volusia and into southern Marion county. Another fire in southern Gilchrist near Tyler has a plume extending into Jefferson county. This plume was moderately dense to locally dense close to the source. Another blaze in western Hernando county had a plume extending into the Gulf of Mexico almost reaching Franklin county. A fire was also seen on Abaco Island in the Bahamas with a smoke plume extending to the east. Georgia/Alabama/South Carolina: Several fires in this region had plumes that were mainly moving to the north. One plume over northwest Alabama in northern Cleburne county had a plume of locally moderately dense to dense smoke that quickly lifted north and dissipated. Another plume in Richmond county Georgia extended to the north and was mainly light. A fire in Chesterfield county South Carolina lifted north and then fanned out to the east as well before dissipating. California: Two fires in Plumas county on the east side of the Sierras had plumes of locally moderate to dense smoke. The smoke was only slowly swirling in the area close to the fire and mostly confined to Plumas county. A fire in northwest San Diego county had a plume of faint smoke that extended to the northeast into western Riverside. Saskatchewan: Numerous agricultural fires were seen across the province, several of which were producing relatively short lived puffs of smoke. These plumes were all moving to the southwest. Ruminski