Occurred Oct 14, 2026, 8:10:00 PM UTC

First published Oct 15, 2026, 2:11:15 AM UTC · Last updated Oct 15, 2026, 2:11:15 AM UTC

Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 43.620°N, 118.880°W — Near Burns, OR, United States

NOAA HMS classified a satellite-observed smoke area near Burns, Oregon, as heavy density, observed from 2026-10-14T20:10:00Z to 23:30:00Z. The source states this is not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

Illustrative image: In the mid 1970's, VIA Rail would have the Saturday noonday train from Toronto to Niagara Falls pulled by CN steam locomotive 6060. She was cleared to 100 mph on the Toronto-Hamilton part of the route and it was exciting to ride on a steam train going this fast. 6060 throws up a black smoke plume. The engine burns oil, not coal. 6060 now lives in Alberta. — Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Why it matters

It records a heavy-density smoke extent but does not report ground-level air quality or issue a 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: 6/10How 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: 2/10How 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).

Primary official sources

NOAA HMS Smoke Detection Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 43.620°N, 118.880°W — Near Burns, OR, United StatesNOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS) Usage terms

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