DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1230Z August 12, 2014

An extensive area of smoke, the result of numerous wildfires burning in 
Northwest Territories, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the 
United States, extended from northern Alaska across northern and central 
Canada southeastward deep into the southern Plains of the US.  

Due to a Critical Infrastructure Protection test the fire analysis is 
based on imagery only through 1230Z at this time.  Imagery beyond 1230Z 
indicated extensive cloud cover over the US Pacific Northwest with some 
smoke observed through breaks in the clouds moving north into and 
through British Columbia.   

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS 
OF SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME 
DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE 
SOURCE FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. 
AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO 
VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS 
EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE SOURCE FIRE IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC 
FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE:


JPEG:   http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/land/hms.html
GIS:    http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
KML:    http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT 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.