Smoke Forecast for Sunday, September 8, 2024 9:00 AM

September 08 2024

Current Conditions

The Montana DEQ is issuing an Air Quality Alert through Monday at 8AM for Deer Lodge, Granite, Mineral, Missoula, and Ravalli Counties because of elevated particulate levels from wildfire smoke.

Surface smoke and haze will remain widespread over much of the Treasure State again on Sunday. A system will spread scattered storms and a bit more wind for the area by Sunday afternoon.

There are numerous active fires burning in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana. These fires will continue to spread smoke into portions of Southwest Montana. The largest of the group is the Wye fire burning 30 miles west of Hamilton. This fire has burned almost 10,000 acres and is 0% contained.

The Wapiti fire is currently the largest wildfire in Idaho. It’s burning in the mountains of the Boise National Forest of Central Idaho. It has burned nearly 115,000 acres and is only 12% contained.

Several fires burning in Western Montana continue to grow. The Grouse fire burning just east of Wisdom has burned around 5,700 acres and is 22% contained. The Johnson fire burning just east of Sula has burned nearly 5,500 acres and is 25% contained. The Sharrott Creek fire just west of Stevensville is the largest staffed wildfire in the state, with 499 personnel assigned to it. has burned around 3,000 acres and is 36% contained. The Ratio Mountain fire burning east of Butte has burned more than 1,200 acres. It is 54% contained. The Daly fire burning in the Sapphire Mountains east of the Bitterroot Valley was active again on Saturday. It has burned around 2,100 acres and is 6% contained. Lastly, the Mile Marker 104 fire burning northwest of Missoula has burned 400 acres and is 60% contained.

At 8:00 AM Saturday, Libby, Thompson Falls, Cut Bank, Columbia Falls, Frenchtown, Missoula, Helena, Sleeping Giant, Butte, Lewistown, Billings, Seeley Lake, Butte, and Broadus were enduring Moderate air quality. Bozeman was experiencing air that is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Hamilton was enduring Unhealthy air.

Sunday morning’s satellite shows widespread smoke over much of Montana from regional wildfires.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Unseasonably warm air, gusty winds, and dry fuels will lead to another day of active fire behavior on many regional wildfires. A disturbance will slide across the state late on Sunday. It will bring a bit more wind and produce some widely scattered showers and storms. Much of the precipitation will evaporate before reaching the surface due to very dry air. The flow will shift to the southwest, pushing much of the heaviest surface smoke into parts of Mineral and Missoula Counties at times.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible again on Monday as the ridge gradually starts to weaken. Gusty winds, dry fuels, and warm temperatures will produce another round of active fire behavior. Expect surface smoke to be an issue, particularly across Southwest Montana.

A major pattern shift to our weather is likely starting Wednesday as a trough pushes into the state. Some much-needed rain will fall across much of the Northern Rockies, along with cooler temperatures. The pattern shift should help to moderate fire behavior and reduce surface smoke concentrations. Stay tuned!

By late Monday, the HRRR smoke model shows heavy surface smoke surging further east into much of Montana.

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
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	33,016	95%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	116,788	12%
Snag Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho	32,737	15%
Goat Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho	5,427	0%
Dollar Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho	4,261	8%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles Southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	4,128	24%
Lava Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	12 miles SW of Cascade, ID	1,611	0%
Moore Square Complex - IDNCF	Idaho	Both Fires are located in the Gospel-Hump Wilderness Area near Square Mountain	3,093	0%
Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog and Nellie - IDBOF	Idaho	9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID	58,351	30%
Chimney Fire - IDEIX	Idaho	9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID	3,247	10%
Copper Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	315	NA
Burnt Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	2,666	NA
Farrow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	900	NA
Parks Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	3,850	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.	3,800	NA
Moose Creek Complex - IDNCF	Idaho	East Moose creek Bridge to Elbow Bend impacted	10,388	NA
Red Rock Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	15 miles west of Salmon, ID	273	0%
Black Eagle Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	21 miles west of Salmon	2,081	0%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Johnson fire is located in and out of the A-P wilderness & community of Springer	6,301	0%
Sharrott Creek Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Three miles west of Stevensville, Montana	3,018	NA
Marsh Creek - MTHLF	Montana	12 Miles Southeast of Lincoln, MT	110	0%
McDermott - MTBDF	Montana	17 miles northwest of Philipsburg, MT	216	NA
Grouse - MTBDF	Montana	Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT	5,743	22%
Railroad-Daly Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Railroad Creek/ Skalkaho Creek confluence, 26 miles SE of Hamilton	2,068	4%
Elkhorn Ridge - MTBRF	Montana	West Fork District	3,125	0%
Magruder Ridge Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Selway Bitterroot Wilderness	1,652	0%
Remington Fire - MTGNF	Montana	14 miles NE of Leiter, WY, multiple counties in southeast Montana.	196,368	88%
Ratio Mountain - MTBDF	Montana	15 miles northwest of Whitehall, MT.	1,226	NA
McElwain Fire - MTMTS	Montana	10 miles west of Helmville, MT	116	60%
Willamette Complex Fires - South - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette Complex South fires are 8 miles north and 8 to 22 miles S-SE of Oakridge.	21,858	NA
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	2,856	25%
Rail Ridge - OROCF	Oregon	Approx. 7 miles south of Dayville, OR	135,067	7%
North Willamette Complex - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette National Forest	4,631	NA
Copperfield Fire - OR98S	Oregon	10 miles east of Chiloquin, Oregon	3,822	68%
Fossil Complex - OR95S	Oregon	1.5 miles NW of Spray;10 miles east of Fossil; 5 miles NE of Monument, Oregon	752	0%
Shoe Fly Fire - OR95S	Oregon	6 Miles NE of Mitchell, Oregon	25,142	19%
Wiley Flat - OROCF	Oregon	10 miles southeast of post, Oregon	20,774	3%
Sandstone Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest	702	75%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.	1,289	0%
Devils Knob and Milepost 98 Fires - ORUPF	Oregon	5 miles southeast of Tiller, OR	1,200	0%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	25,305	97%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	6,156	60%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area	5,286	62%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	11,141	81%
Two Cabin - OR95S	Oregon	4 Miles NE of Monument Oregon	251	5%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	86,968	95%
Microwave Tower Fire - OR95S	Oregon	1 mile WSW of Mosier, OR	1,313	95%
Ruby Fire - WANCP	Washington	On Ruby Mountain in North Cascade National Park by Diablo and Ross Lake, 9 miles East of Newhalem	1,217	0%
Williams Mine Fire-GPNF - WAGPF	Washington	3.5 miles NNW of Trout Lake WA	13,049	31%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	38,735	23%
Huckleberry Ridge Fire - WAPCS	Washington	20 miles south of Pe Ell, Washington	343	0%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground	211	0%

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024