Smoke Forecast for Monday, August 19, 2024 10:00 AM

August 19 2024

Current Conditions

Several active fires burning in the Boise National Forest in Idaho quickly expanded on Sunday. The smoke from these fires was forced north by southerly winds and was observed over parts of Northwest Montana. However, much of this smoke remains elevated several thousand feet above the surface, so air quality isn’t a major concern.

The Wye fire burning in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho about 30 miles west of Hamilton continues to grow. It is up to 5,015 acres with 0% of the fire contained. A crew of 4 people are assigned to the Wye fire.

At 9:00 AM Monday, Great Falls and Sidney were enduring Moderate air quality.

Monday morning’s satellite shows some smoke from Idaho wildfires surging north into Western Montana.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Surface winds turn from the south to the west across the Northern Rockies over the next 24-hours. This pattern will send more smoke from Idaho wildfires into the Treasure State, particularly over the Bitterroot Valley and Northwest Montana. Per Inciweb, there are currently 18 active wildfires burning in Idaho covering more than 90,000 acres total.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Monday and Tuesday across the region. These storms will be capable of producing heavy rain, frequent lightning, gusty winds, and even some hail. Existing fires adjacent to these storms will exhibit erratic behavior due to strong outflow winds. While these storms will produce some beneficial rainfall for much of Montana, they will largely avoid central and southern Idaho where numerous wildfires are burning. Smoke from Idaho wildfires will be an ongoing issue, particularly in Western Montana, as the week goes on.

A ridge of high pressure will bring unseasonably warm air to Montana, especially the first half of the week. By the end of the week, a trough will push inland. It will provide much cooler temperatures and the threat of showers and thunderstorms. Stay tuned!

By late Tuesday, the HRRR smoke model shows smoke moving into Western Montana from fires burning in Idaho.

Source: HRRR Smoke

Conditions can change quickly as weather could stimulate active fires and the likelihood of new starts increases. Please keep track of concentrations at todaysair.mtdeq.us or the Fire and Smoke Map.

Current Wildfires

Current Wildfires
Incident	State	location	acres	containment
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	4,943	10%
Dollar Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho	1,865	0%
Goat Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho	1,405	0%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	2,288	35%
Snag Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho	21,464	0%
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	5 miles west of Donnelly, ID	1,154	95%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	32,212	58%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 miles WNW OF Stanley, ID	271	92%
Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog, Nellie, Anderson - IDBOF	Idaho	9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID	15,629	5%
Wye Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately four and a half miles northwest of Freeman Peak and seven miles northeast of the Moose Creek Airstrip	5,015	NA
Ace Butte Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southeast of Grangeville, Idaho	134	NA
Anchor Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	About half way between Hanover Mountain and Square Mountain in the Gospel Hump Wilderness	115	NA
Cracker Jack Complex - IDNCF	Idaho	All four fires are located within half a mile of each other: two and a half miles east of Concord, ID, less than a quarter acre east from Square Lake and less than a quarter acre west from Fish Lake.	265	NA
2024 Flat - IDIDS	Idaho	NA	3,278	14%
Farrow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	500	NA
Bluff Creek Complex - IDIPF	Idaho	The fires are burning along both sides of the Bluff Ridge, approximately 13 1/2 miles southeast of Avery, ID; five and a half miles west from Gold Creek Campground; and approximately two miles northwest of Junction Ridge.	432	NA
Monumental Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	11	NA
Black Canyon Fire - MTMTS	Montana	30 Miles NW of White Sulphur Springs, MT	233	98%
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,724	86%
Grouse - MTBDF	Montana	Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT	4,166	22%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	3 miles west of the Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork on the Bitterroot NF	270	0%
Elkhorn Ridge - MTBRF	Montana	West Fork District	2,482	0%
Pentagon Fire - MTFNF	Montana	45 miles SE of Bigfork, MT	62	0%
Black Mountain - MTHLF	Montana	6 miles northwest of Lincoln. Mont.	182	87%
Telephone Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	16 miles north east of Burns, Oregon	54,034	95%
Falls Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	20 miles NW of Burns	151,680	95%
North Willamette Complex - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette National Forest	4,452	NA
Willamette Complex Fires - South - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette Complex South fires are 8 miles north and 8 to 22 miles S-SE of Oakridge.	12,945	48%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	5,832	31%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	1,973	9%
Sandstone Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest	702	19%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	25,250	61%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area	5,222	0%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	10,984	33%
Dixon Fire - ORUPF	Oregon	Tiller, Oregon	1,970	47%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	183,026	94%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.	730	0%
Warner Peak Fire - ORSHR	Oregon	3 miles East of Plush, on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge	65,866	85%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	86,928	93%
Courtrock Fire - OR95S	Oregon	7.1 Miles south of Monument, OR	20,019	100%
Town Gulch - ORWWF	Oregon	Eagle Creek Rd Area, 24 Miles East of Baker City OR, 8 Miles N of Richland, OR	18,220	89%
Winding Waters Complex - OR97S	Oregon	23 miles east of Union, OR	752	83%
Cliff Mountain - ORWWF	Oregon	25 Miles East of Joseph, Oregon	1,108	75%
Porcupine Fire - ORBUD	Oregon	Porcupine Reservoir	6,491	95%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lonerock stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	137,222	98%
Williams Mine Fire-GPNF - WAGPF	Washington	3.5 miles NNW of Trout Lake WA	11,555	5%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	24,091	80%
Ruby Fire - WANCP	Washington	On Ruby Mountain in North Cascade National Park by Diablo and Ross Lake, 9 miles East of Newhalem	820	0%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	38,727	23%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	2,130	29%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles WSE of Naches, WA	45,601	85%
Lodgepole - WAOWF	Washington	16 miles west of Cliffdell, WA	35	6%
2620 Road Fire - WAOLC	Washington	The fire is located 5 miles West of Brinnon Washington.	322	8%
Kachess Complex - WAOWF	Washington	12 miles west of Cle Elum drainage	23	NA
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground	189	0%

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024