Smoke Forecast for Monday, September 9, 2024 9:30 AM

September 09 2024

Current Conditions

Montana DEQ has issued an Air Quality Alert until 8AM Tuesday for Broadwater, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, and Teton Counties because of elevated particulate levels from wildfire smoke.

Surface smoke and haze are widespread across much of Western Montana early Monday. Expect air quality to be a concern through Tuesday.

The Lava, Boulder, and Goat fires burning in Central Idaho are exhibiting extreme fire behavior again Monday. 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 116,000 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 6,300 acres and is 25% contained. The Sharrott Creek fire just west of Stevensville is the largest staffed wildfire in the state, with 355 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 Sunday. 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 80% contained.

At 9:00 AM Monday, Miles City, Broadus, Bozeman, Dillon, Cut Bank, Columbia Falls, Thompson Falls were enduring Moderate air quality. Seeley Lake was experiencing air that is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Hamilton, Missoula, Frenchtown, Butte, Helena, Sleeping Giant, Lewistown, Havre, and Choteau were enduring Unhealthy air.

Monday morning’s satellite shows widespread heavy smoke across much of Montana, Idaho, and Oregon.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Heavy surface smoke will continue to impact air quality around much of the state again on Monday. Winds perk up a bit by Monday afternoon, and it should help to mix out some of the heavy surface smoke over the valleys. Numerous active wildfires burning over Western Montana and Idaho will send additional smoke across the region, leading to deteriorating air quality.

Starting Tuesday, better ventilation arrives as a Pacific trough approaches. It should help to begin to scour out the surface smoke in many of the valleys. Temperatures will begin to cool on Tuesday. The combination of cooler air and higher relative humidity should moderate fire behavior and begin to limit smoke production.

By Wednesday, a trough of low pressure marches across the Treasure State. It will provide some beneficial rain for the entire region. Some areas in Idaho and Northwest Montana could receive more than an inch of rain from this storm. Cooler air and widespread rainfall should help to ease fire weather concerns across the area. Air quality is expected to improve for the Northern Rockies thanks to the cooler and wetter pattern. Another trough of low pressure is possible by early next week, bringing additional rainfall for the state. Stay tuned!

By late Tuesday, the HRRR smoke model shows heavy surface smoke lingering over the western half 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
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	120,354	12%
Lava Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	12 miles SW of Cascade, ID	46,733	0%
Chimney Fire - IDEIX	Idaho	9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID	4,892	10%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	33,075	95%
Goat Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho	6,054	0%
Snag Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho	33,014	16%
Dollar Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho	4,297	8%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles Southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	4,159	24%
Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog and Nellie - IDBOF	Idaho	9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID	58,770	30%
Parks Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	3,850	NA
Farrow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	900	NA
Burnt Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	2,666	NA
Copper Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	315	NA
Moore Square Complex - IDNCF	Idaho	Both Fires are located in the Gospel-Hump Wilderness Area near Square Mountain	3,093	0%
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
Surprise Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Three and one-half miles NE of Hunter Peak, Fifteen miles NW of Darby, MT in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness	40	NA
2024 Flat - IDIDS	Idaho	One mile east of Pioneerville, Idaho	3,734	61%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 miles WNW OF Stanley, ID	271	92%
Monumental Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	NA	11	NA
Robbin Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Within Game Unit 12: located less than six and a half miles southwest of Powell Ranger Station and less than three and a half miles south of Wendover Campground	NA	NA
Grave Butte Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Within Game Unit 12: located ten miles west of Jerry Johnson Campground and about half a mile from National Forest Service Road #107 (Saddle Camp Road)	10	NA
Boulder Creek Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Within Game Unit 12: located ten miles north of the Powell Ranger Station and 12 miles west of Lolo Hot Springs	25	NA
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	90%
Shepp Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southwest of Elk City, Idaho	100	NA
Oxbow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Near Oxbow dam in Hells Canyon	6,000	NA
Black Eagle Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	21 miles west of Salmon	2,410	0%
Red Rock Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	15 miles west of Salmon, ID	707	0%
McDermott - MTBDF	Montana	17 miles northwest of Philipsburg, MT	216	NA
McElwain Fire - MTMTS	Montana	10 miles west of Helmville, MT	116	75%
Sharrott Creek Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Three miles west of Stevensville, Montana	3,018	NA
Railroad-Daly Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Railroad Creek/ Skalkaho Creek confluence, 26 miles SE of Hamilton	2,418	4%
Grouse - MTBDF	Montana	Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT	5,743	22%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	Johnson fire is located in and out of the A-P wilderness & community of Springer	6,301	0%
Marsh Creek - MTHLF	Montana	12 Miles Southeast of Lincoln, MT	110	0%
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
Big Hollow Fire - MTMTS	Montana	36 miles southwest of Dillon, MT	3,435	90%
Pentagon Fire - MTFNF	Montana	45 miles SE of Bigfork, MT	62	0%
Muir Creek Fire - MTGNP	Montana	20 miles southeast of West Glacier, MT and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River	30	0%
Sandstone Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest	702	75%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	2,935	25%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	8,640	60%
North Willamette Complex - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette National Forest	4,631	NA
Fossil Complex - OR95S	Oregon	1.5 miles NW of Spray;10 miles east of Fossil; 5 miles NE of Monument, Oregon	4,421	3%
Willamette Complex Fires - South - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette Complex South fires are 8 miles north and 8 to 22 miles S-SE of Oakridge.	22,422	NA
Copperfield Fire - OR98S	Oregon	10 miles east of Chiloquin, Oregon	3,822	77%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area	5,286	70%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	11,141	83%
Devils Knob and Milepost 98 Fires - ORUPF	Oregon	5 miles southeast of Tiller, OR	3,466	0%
Shoe Fly Fire - OR95S	Oregon	6 Miles NE of Mitchell, Oregon	26,409	26%
Rail Ridge - OROCF	Oregon	Approx. 7 miles south of Dayville, OR	135,067	7%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	25,884	97%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.	1,289	0%
Wiley Flat - OROCF	Oregon	10 miles southeast of post, Oregon	20,774	3%
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%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lonerock stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	137,222	98%
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%
Porcupine Fire - ORBUD	Oregon	Porcupine Reservoir	6,491	95%
Badland Complex 2024 - ORVAD	Oregon	Baker County, Oregon	54,563	99%
Durkee Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	1 mile west of Durkee, Oregon	294,265	95%
Cow Valley Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	West of Brogan and Northwest of Vale	133,490	99%
Larch Creek Fire - OR95S	Oregon	Friend, OR, a rural community	18,286	81%
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	13,057	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	293	0%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground	211	0%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	2,130	36%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles WSE of Naches, WA	45,601	85%
Six Mile - WACOA	Washington	Two miles east of Nine Mile Hellgate Road, near the head of Cottonwood Creek	113	90%
Stranger Creek II - WACOA	Washington	NA	66	90%
Lodgepole - WAOWF	Washington	16 miles west of Cliffdell, WA	35	6%
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