Smoke Forecast for Tuesday, August 20, 2024 9:30 AM

August 20 2024

Current Conditions

Much needed rain fell across Montana and Idaho on Monday. There were also numerous lightning strikes, and new fire starts are certainly possible in the coming days. Much of the smoke across Montana is aloft, so there weren’t any significant impacts to air quality as of Tuesday morning.

The Wye fire burning in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho about 30 miles west of Hamilton received a good soaking on Monday. The moisture should help to moderate fire behavior at least temporarily. The fire has burned 5,015 acres with 0% of the fire contained. A crew of 4 people are assigned to the Wye fire.

Through Tuesday morning, there have been 1,600 fires in Montana that have burned a total of 113,613 acres.

At 9:00 AM Tuesday, Libby, Hamilton, Billings, and Sidney were enduring Moderate air quality.

Tuesday morning’s satellite shows some elevated smoke from Idaho wildfires pushing into much of Montana.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Smoke is widespread across Montana on Tuesday. However, because of an elevated mixing layer, much of the smoke is aloft and air quality isn’t a huge concern. There are several large fires burning in the mountains of Central Idaho. Unfortunately, these fires didn’t receive any rain on Monday. These fires have grown considerably over the last few days. A southwest flow will continue to send smoke from these fires into Western Montana through Friday.

There are chances for afternoon/evening showers and thunderstorms through the end of the week. The higher humidity levels and precipitation should help moderate fire behavior. The area of low pressure over the Pacific Northwest gradually shifts into California by Thursday and Friday. It should provide a southerly flow and warmer temperatures. Highs by Friday will approach 90 degrees once again.

Low pressure moves into the Northern Rockies by the weekend. It will provide a cooler and wetter pattern for the Treasure State. Showers and even some higher elevation snow are possible as the low marches across the state. Stay tuned!

By Wednesday morning, the HRRR smoke model shows smoke moving into Southwest Montana from fires burning in the mountains of Central 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
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	2,301	38%
Dollar Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho	2,041	0%
Goat Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho	1,405	0%
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	5 miles west of Donnelly, ID	1,154	95%
Snag Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho	22,016	1%
2024 Flat - IDIDS	Idaho	1 mile east of Pioneerville, ID	3,641	14%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	32,368	58%
Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog, Nellie, Anderson - IDBOF	Idaho	9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID	24,503	5%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 miles WNW OF Stanley, ID	271	92%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	9,049	10%
Burnt Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	200	NA
Farrow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	500	NA
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
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
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,724	86%
Grouse - MTBDF	Montana	Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT	4,200	22%
Elkhorn Ridge - MTBRF	Montana	West Fork District	2,482	0%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	3 miles west of the Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork on the Bitterroot NF	270	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%
Willamette Complex Fires - South - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette Complex South fires are 8 miles north and 8 to 22 miles S-SE of Oakridge.	13,013	NA
North Willamette Complex - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette National Forest	4,458	NA
Dixon Fire - ORUPF	Oregon	Tiller, Oregon	1,970	67%
Sandstone Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest	702	29%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	2057	9%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	10,984	38%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	25,250	68%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	5,875	35%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.	737	0%
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%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	183,026	94%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	86,955	93%
Warner Peak Fire - ORSHR	Oregon	3 miles East of Plush, on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge	65,866	85%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area	5,222	0%
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%
Stranger Creek II - WACOA	Washington	NA	66	0%
Six Mile - WACOA	Washington	Two miles east of Nine Mile Hellgate Road, near the head of Cottonwood Creek	113	0%
2620 Road Fire - WAOLC	Washington	The fire is located 5 miles West of Brinnon Washington.	398	8%
Ruby Fire - WANCP	Washington	On Ruby Mountain in North Cascade National Park by Diablo and Ross Lake, 9 miles East of Newhalem	902	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%
Wicked Drive - WANEC	Washington	Tum Tum, Washington	700	0%
Williams Mine Fire-GPNF - WAGPF	Washington	3.5 miles NNW of Trout Lake WA	11,555	10%
Lodgepole - WAOWF	Washington	16 miles west of Cliffdell, WA	35	6%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles WSE of Naches, WA	45,601	85%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground	189	0%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	24,091	80%
Kachess Complex - WAOWF	Washington	12 miles west of Cle Elum drainage	23	NA

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024