DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1730Z August 18, 2019

SMOKE:
Alaska...
The Swan Lake fire was actively burning this morning with
moderate-to-heavy density smoke being released towards the south-southeast
over the Gulf of Alaska. Additional light density smoke originating from
wildfires in Russia was seen covering much of central-eastern Alaska,
also extending over the Gulf of Alaska. The smoke is progressing eastward
following the upper level atmospheric flow.

Arizona...
The Trumbull, Castle and Ikes wildfires remain active in Coconino and
Mohave counties with light-to-moderate density smoke spreading eastward
across northern Arizona and southern Utah.

California...
The Springs fire in Mono county was active this morning releasing
moderate density smoke towards the north-northwest and across the Nevada
state border.

Southeast US and Mid-Atlantic Region...
Light density remnant smoke was seen covering a large portion of the
southeast and the mid-Atlantic regions including northeast Mississippi,
central-northern Alabama, Tennessee, western North Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland and southeast Pennsylvania. The smoke is linked to previous
days burning activity in the region.

Dust...
Suspended Saharan dust could be seen stretching for approximately 1,000
miles along a northeast-southwest sector off the Atlantic coast of
Florida .

WS


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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
GIS:    ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/
KML:    http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire)
        http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke)

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.