Occurred Nov 12, 2026, 6:00:00 PM UTC

First published Nov 13, 2026, 1:58:15 AM UTC · Last updated Nov 13, 2026, 1:58:15 AM UTC

Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 41.042°N, 122.188°W — Near Lakehead, CA, United States

NOAA HMS classified the satellite-observed smoke as heavy density, based on GOES-East observations from 18:00 to 20:00 UTC on November 12, 2026. The source states this is an observed smoke extent, not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

At a glance

Affected location: Lakehead, California, United States

Illustrative image: California Wildfire Smoke — Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Why it matters

It documents a heavy-density smoke extent near Lakehead while distinguishing it from ground-level air quality and a health alert.

Location

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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).
Urgency: 2/10How time-sensitive the event is, from low urgency (1) to immediate attention needed (10).

Primary official sources

NOAA HMS Smoke Detection Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 41.042°N, 122.188°W — Near Lakehead, CA, United StatesNOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS) Usage terms

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Related developments reported in the last 30 days. These are not necessarily ongoing incidents.

Nearby · within 200 km
Medium satellite-observed smoke area centered at 40.961°N, 122.229°W — Near Lakehead, CA, United StatesNov 12, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC
NOAA classified the satellite-observed smoke area as medium density. The source data says this is not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.
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Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 40.920°N, 122.234°W — Near Montgomery Creek, CA, United StatesNov 12, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
NOAA HMS classified the satellite-observed smoke area near Montgomery Creek as heavy density, based on GOES-EAST observations from 16:00 to 18:00 UTC on November 12, 2026. The source states this is an observed smoke extent, not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.
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Medium satellite-observed smoke area centered at 40.900°N, 122.259°W — Near Lakehead, CA, United StatesNov 12, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
NOAA HMS classified a satellite-observed smoke area near Lakehead, California, as medium density, based on GOES-EAST observations from 16:00 to 18:00 UTC on November 12, 2026. The source says this represents observed smoke extent, not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.
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Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 40.616°N, 122.527°W — Near French Gulch, CA, United StatesNov 11, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC
NOAA HMS classified the satellite-observed smoke area near French Gulch as heavy density, observed from 2026-11-11 18:10 to 20:00 UTC. The source states this is not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.
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Medium satellite-observed smoke area centered at 41.282°N, 121.978°W — Near Modoc/Shasta/Klamath Forest, CA, United StatesNov 11, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC
NOAA HMS classified the satellite-observed smoke area as medium density, with GOES-EAST observations from 18:10 to 20:00 UTC on November 11, 2026. The source states this is not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.
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Medium satellite-observed smoke area centered at 40.444°N, 123.093°W — Near Hayfork, CA, United StatesNov 11, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC
GOES-EAST observed a medium-density smoke area near Hayfork, California, from 18:10 to 20:00 UTC on November 11, 2026. The source says this is a satellite-observed smoke extent, not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

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