First published 10/4/2026, 2:59:16 PM · Last updated 10/4/2026, 2:59:16 PM

Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 44.989°N, 116.446°W

NOAA HMS classified a satellite-observed smoke area as heavy density, observed by GOES-EAST from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC on October 3, 2026. The source states this is not a ground-level air-quality measurement or health alert.

Illustrative image: The Sand Fire in the Santa Clarita Valley area of Southern California erupted on Friday, July 22, 2016, and rapidly grew to more than 37,000 acres. These images are from the MISR instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite. — NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL-Caltech, MISR Team/NASA Image and Video Library, NASA Media Usage Guidelines

Categories: environment-and-climate

Generated scores

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

Confidence: 5/10How 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: 3/10How 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).

Why it matters

The report identifies a heavy-density smoke area but provides no ground-level air-quality reading or health alert.

Location

Sources

Heavy satellite-observed smoke area centered at 44.989°N, 116.446°WNOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS) Usage terms

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