Smoke Forecast for Thursday, August 22, 2024 9:30 AM

August 22 2024

Current Conditions

Some beneficial rain fell across parts of Montana on Wednesday. Some areas of Southwest Montana received up to a quarter of an inch.

Unfortunately, the fires burning across the Central Idaho mountains didn’t receive any precipitation Wednesday. The Nellie and Wapiti fires were active on Wednesday, and smoke from these fires could be seen moving into Southwest Montana in the afternoon. Despite the plume, much of this smoke was aloft so there weren’t any major impacts to air quality. The Wye fire burning 30 miles west of Hamilton continues to expand. It has grown to 5,000 acres with 0% containment. By Wednesday afternoon, smoke from the Wye fire was visible across sections of the Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys.

The Fish Creek fire burning east of Jackson, Wyoming exhibited active fire behavior on Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, it had grown to 7,798 acres. Smoke from the fire could be seen drifting over parts of Southeast Montana, near Billings Wednesday afternoon.

At 9:00 AM Thursday, Dillon and Broadus were enduring Moderate air quality.

Thursday morning’s satellite shows some light smoke across Montana, much of which is aloft, from fires burning in Central Idaho.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

A southwesterly to southerly flow will persist across the Northern Rockies through at least Saturday. This will continue to send smoke from fires burning in the Central Idaho mountains into portions of Western Montana. The Nellie, Wapiti, and Wye fires have grown considerably of late, and smoke from these blazes will continue to drift into the Treasure State.

Warmer air will be drawn north into Montana on Friday thanks to the southerly flow. Widely isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible, but much of the region should remain dry. Most of the smoke from regional wildfires will remain aloft during the day. However, expect some draining and pooling of the smoke overnight as inversions set-up, especially over Southwest Montana.

A much-anticipated Pacific trough swings through the Northern Rockies beginning Saturday bringing an end to the unseasonably warmth. It will provide some beneficial rain, even across the mountains of Central Idaho where numerous wildfires are burning. The moisture should help to moderate fire behavior and limit smoke production. Snow levels will tumble, and minor accumulations are possible down to 8,000 feet. Stay tuned!

By Friday afternoon, the HRRR smoke model shows smoke moving into Montana from wildfires burning in Idaho and Wyoming.

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
Goat Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho	1,718	0%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	2,305	44%
Snag Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho	23,100	3%
Dollar Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho	2,449	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	32,465	84%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 miles WNW OF Stanley, ID	271	92%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	17,520	10%
Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog, Nellie, Anderson - IDBOF	Idaho	9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID	31,087	5%
2024 Flat - IDIDS	Idaho	1 mile east of Pioneerville, ID	3,668	28%
Burnt Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	300	NA
Farrow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	727	NA
Parks Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	400	NA
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	90%
Monumental Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	11	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
Elkhorn Ridge - MTBRF	Montana	West Fork District	2482	0%
Pentagon Fire - MTFNF	Montana	45 miles SE of Bigfork, MT	62	0%
Black Canyon Fire - MTMTS	Montana	30 Miles NW of White Sulphur Springs, MT	233	100%
Grouse - MTBDF	Montana	Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT	4,200	22%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	3 miles west of the Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork on the Bitterroot NF	270	0%
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
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	25,265	81%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.	738	0%
Sandstone Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest	702	29%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	5,891	35%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	2,058	24%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	11,052	53%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area	5,228	0%
North Willamette Complex - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette National Forest	4,458	NA
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	86,963	93%
Dixon Fire - ORUPF	Oregon	Tiller, Oregon	1,970	87%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	183,026	94%
Warner Peak Fire - ORSHR	Oregon	3 miles East of Plush, on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge	65,866	85%
Town Gulch - ORWWF	Oregon	Eagle Creek Rd Area, 24 Miles East of Baker City OR, 8 Miles N of Richland, OR	18,220	89%
Cliff Mountain - ORWWF	Oregon	25 Miles East of Joseph, Oregon	1,108	75%
Williams Mine Fire-GPNF - WAGPF	Washington	3.5 miles NNW of Trout Lake WA	11,764	19%
2620 Road Fire - WAOLC	Washington	The fire is located 5 miles West of Brinnon Washington.	403	8%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	2,130	36%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	38,730	23%
Stranger Creek II - WACOA	Washington	NA	66	0%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground	189	0%
Six Mile - WACOA	Washington	Two miles east of Nine Mile Hellgate Road, near the head of Cottonwood Creek	113	0%
Ruby Fire - WANCP	Washington	On Ruby Mountain in North Cascade National Park by Diablo and Ross Lake, 9 miles East of Newhalem	921	0%
Upper Ruby - WACOF	Washington	Ione, WA	220	0%
Wicked Drive - WANEC	Washington	Tum Tum, Washington	698	65%
Lodgepole - WAOWF	Washington	16 miles west of Cliffdell, WA	35	6%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles WSE of Naches, WA	45,601	85%
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