DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1800Z August 01, 2009

Alaska and Western/Central Canada/Northwest US/Northern and Central
Plains:
The wildfires in Alaska, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia are
producing a very large area of moderately dense to dense smoke across
parts of western/central Canada and northern/central US.  Pockets of dense
smoke are located in different regions of the overall analyzed area.
A plume of dense smoke is located in northeast Alaska and continues to
move north into the Arctic Ocean.  This smoke source is from fires in
Alaska not British Columbia.  Another pockets of dense smoke spreads
across a section of eastern Yukon Territory, a large section of western
Northwest Territories and into northern British Columbia.  A strip of
heavy smoke is also located in central Saskatchewan and extends SSE into
central North Dakota, NE South Dakota and E into Iowa.  Moderately dense
smoke is seen over central/eastern British Columbia and western Alberta
and continues to move SE.  Another section of moderately dense smoke is
located in southern Alberta with a final section extending across central
Saskatchewan and SSE into the northern/central Plains.  The rest of the
area is covered by light smoke.  Most likely smoke has spread farther
to the east/south, but due to clouds cannot be seen at this time.

J KIBLER

More information on the areas of smoke described above as well as others
can be found at the locations listed below.

THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER
DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE
PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE:

JPEG:   http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html
GIS:    http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
KML:    http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html

THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE
WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE
SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO
STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT
PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.