Aircraft-based measurements of optical extinction, optical scattering, and particle mass concentrations were obtained in the smoke from the Kuwait oil fires during May and June 1991. These measurements were used to derive optical absorption, single-scattering albedo (ω˜), specific absorption and the amount of soot in the smoke. Measurements were made in smoke from individual oil wells, pool fires and in composite smoke plumes. The value of ω˜ for smoke from the individual fires was either 0.35--0.4 (for the black smoke) or 0.85--0.95 (for the white smoke). For the aged composite plume from all of the fires, ω˜ ranged from 0.52 to 0.6. The specific absorption of the composite smoke varied from about 2 m2 g-1 near the fires to about 1.5 m2 g-1 well downwind. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1992