For the first time, a ground-based N₂ Raman lidar sampled smoke plumes originating from a large accidental warehouse fire in the Paris area. We developed a new algorithm, dubbed top-down aerosol optical thickness matching, to characterize the optical properties of the smoke aerosols, without a pre-determined reference zone and in the presence of clouds. The industrial pollution episode was concomitant with the long-range transport of dust aerosols and the presence of an extended stratus cloud.