First published 10/10/2026, 1:36:15 AM UTC · Last updated 10/10/2026, 1:36:15 AM UTC

Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 38.913°N, 121.565°W — Near Nicolaus, CA, United States

NOAA HMS classified satellite-observed smoke near Nicolaus, California, as heavy density during the stated observation period. The source describes an observed smoke extent, not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

Illustrative image: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2020], processed by Pierre Markuse August Complex wildfire and smoke plume, California, USA - September 14th, 2020 Image is about 128 kilometers wide. Do you want to support this collection of satellite images? Any donation, no matter how small, would be appreciated. PayPal me! — Pierre Markuse from Hamm, Germany/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Why it matters

The report identifies the smoke's observed extent and density but does not provide a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

Location

Categories: environment-and-climate

Generated scores

Scores are based on the cited reporting and use a 1–10 scale. Read the methodology.

Confidence: 7/10How certain the assessment is based on the clarity and evidence in the cited reporting.
Geographic reach: 1/10How widely the event reaches, from a local area (1) to worldwide impact (10).
Global importance: 3/10The event's broader significance, from limited importance (1) to major global importance (10).
Impact magnitude: 2/10The scale or severity of the real-world impact, from minor (1) to extreme (10).
Positivity: 5/10How harmful or beneficial the event is, from strongly harmful (1) to strongly positive (10).
Urgency: 2/10How time-sensitive the event is, from low urgency (1) to immediate attention needed (10).

Sources

Primary official sourceHeavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 38.913°N, 121.565°W — Near Nicolaus, CA, United StatesNOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS) Usage terms

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