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Smoke Forecast for Tuesday, September 10, 2024 9:30 AM

  • September 10 2024

Current Conditions

Montana DEQ has issued an Air Quality Alert until 8AM Wednesday for Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Granite, Madison, Ravalli, and Silver Bow Counties until 8AM Wednesday because of elevated particulate levels from wildfire smoke.

Surface smoke remains a concern across much of the state. Gusty afternoon winds will help to scour out smoke from some of the valleys, while pushing smoke further away from regional wildfires.

There are still several large, active fires burning in Central Idaho. 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 120,000 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 354 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.

At 9:00 AM Tuesday, Libby, Columbia Falls, Frenchtown, Missoula, Helena, Lewistown, West Yellowstone, Sidney, Broadus, and Lewistown were enduring Moderate air quality. Hamilton, Butte, Bozeman, Billings, Miles City, and Glendive were experiencing air that is Unhealthy. Dillon was enduring Very Unhealthy air.

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

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

Source: NOAA

 

Forecast

An approaching trough will be enough to kick up wind across the Northern Rockies by Tuesday afternoon. Gusts over 30 miles per hour will help to scour out surface smoke in many of the valleys. Southwest Montana will continue to experience poor air quality at times due to westerly transport winds and their proximity to numerous wildfires. A widely isolated shower or storm is possible Tuesday afternoon, but the smoke will tend to limit their development.

A powerful area of low pressure will march across Montana Wednesday through Friday. It will provide a good soaking for the region, with most valleys receiving at least a half an inch of precipitation. Snow levels will tumble to 6,000 feet and several inches of snow will fall in the mountains. The precipitation will help to moderate fire behavior across the region and limit smoke production.

There will be a lull in the precipitation Saturday and Sunday as temperatures moderate closer to seasonal averages. Another area of low pressure will move through the Treasure State next Tuesday. It should provide another round of rain and mountain snow for the area. The active weather pattern should keep regional wildfires in check, and limit smoke production. Stay tuned!

By late Wednesday the HRRR smoke model shows a trough moving over Montana beginning to scour out surface smoke.

By late Wednesday the HRRR smoke model shows a trough moving over Montana beginning to scour out surface smoke.

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

Logan Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

West of Edwardsburg, Krassel Ranger District, Payette National Forest

200

NA

Frog - IDSTF

Idaho

Little Boulder Creek off the East Fork of the Salmon River

1,500

0%

Chimney Fire - IDEIX

Idaho

9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID

6,140

10%

Wapiti Fire - IDBOF

Idaho

2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID

120,354

12%

Lava Fire  - IDBOF

Idaho

12 miles SW of Cascade, ID

69,658

0%

Limepoint Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam

33,075

95%

Snag Fire - IDBOF

Idaho

9.5 miles East of Cascade, Idaho

33,084

15%

Goat Fire - IDBOF

Idaho

11 miles SE of Cascade, Idaho

6,054

0%

Dollar Fire  - IDBOF

Idaho

18 miles NE of Cascade, Idaho

4,308

8%

Boulder Fire - IDBOF

Idaho

9 Miles Southwest of Cascade, Idaho.

7,883

24%

Middle Fork Complex Fire: Bulldog and Nellie - IDBOF

Idaho

9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID

58,770

30%

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

763

NA

Copper Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

NA

315

NA

Farrow Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

NA

1,069

NA

Burnt Creek Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

NA

2,665

NA

Parks Fire - IDPAF

Idaho

NA

5,610

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

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

Black Eagle Fire - IDSCF

Idaho

21 miles west of Salmon

3,451

0%

Red Rock Fire - IDSCF

Idaho

15 miles west of Salmon, ID

1,846

0%

Sharrott Creek Fire - MTBRF

Montana

Three miles west of Stevensville, Montana

3,193

NA

Long Tom Fire - MTMTS

Montana

10 miles south of Anaconda, MT

110

0%

Johnson Fire  - MTBRF

Montana

3 miles south of Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork of the Bitterroot

6,301

NA

McDermott - MTBDF

Montana

17 miles northwest of Philipsburg, MT

319

NA

Elkhorn Ridge - MTBRF

Montana

West Fork District

3,125

0%

Railroad-Daly Fire - MTBRF

Montana

Railroad Creek/ Skalkaho Creek confluence, 26 miles SE of Hamilton

2,418

6%

Marsh Creek - MTHLF

Montana

12 Miles Southeast of Lincoln, MT

130

0%

McElwain Fire - MTMTS

Montana

10 miles west of Helmville, MT

116

75%

Grouse  - MTBDF

Montana

Ten miles southwest of Wise River, MT

5,743

22%

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

Pentagon Fire - MTFNF

Montana

45 miles SE of Bigfork, MT

62

0%

Willamette Complex Fires - South - ORWIF

Oregon

Willamette Complex South fires are 8 miles north and 8 to 22 miles S-SE of Oakridge.

22,943

NA

Fossil Complex - OR95S

Oregon

1.5 miles NW of Spray;10 miles east of Fossil; 5 miles NE of Monument, Oregon

15,552

3%

North Willamette Complex - ORWIF

Oregon

Willamette National Forest

4,631

NA

Rail Ridge - OROCF

Oregon

Approx. 7 miles south of Dayville, OR

157,759

11%

Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S

Oregon

Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR

25,927

99%

Copperfield Fire - OR98S

Oregon

10 miles east of Chiloquin, Oregon

3,822

86%

Red Fire  - ORDEF

Oregon

Diamond Peak Wilderness, 16 miles west, north-west of Crescent Oregon.

1,289

0%

Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF

Oregon

East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR

2,977

25%

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

26,463

32%

Milepost 98 - ORUPF

Oregon

The MIiepost 98 fire is located approximately 1 mile north of Canyonville.

328

0%

Sandstone Fire - ORMHF

Oregon

9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest

702

75%

Diamond Complex  - ORUPF

Oregon

18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon

11,141

83%

Wiley Flat - OROCF

Oregon

10 miles southeast of post, Oregon

26,873

13%

Homestead Complex - ORUPF

Oregon

Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon

8,640

60%

Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP

Oregon

Crater Lake National Park; Middle Fork area

5,286

70%

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%

Ruby Fire - WANCP

Washington

On Ruby Mountain in North Cascade National Park by Diablo and Ross Lake, 9 miles East of Newhalem

1,300

0%

Williams Mine Fire-GPNF  - WAGPF

Washington

3.5 miles NNW of Trout Lake WA

13,089

31%

Swauk Creek - WASES

Washington

Kittitas County, WA

150

0%

Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF

Washington

Johannesburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park Campground

211

0%

Huckleberry Ridge Fire - WAPCS

Washington

20 miles south of Pe Ell, Washington

293

0%

Pioneer - WASES

Washington

Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA

38,735

23%

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