Smoke Forecast for Friday, July 26, 2024 9:00 AM

July 26 2024

Current Conditions

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality alert for Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Granite, Madison, Ravalli, and Silver Bow counties in effect until 8AM 7/27/2024 due to elevated particulate levels from wildfire smoke.

Wildfires in Idaho grew significantly on Thursday. The Thunder fire south of Salmon and the WYE MCRD fire west of Hamilton continue to send smoke up and over the Bitterroot Mountains, into Southwest Montana. There are now five active wildfires burning in Oregon that are at least 100,000 acres in size. These fires continue to send smoke into parts of the Northern Rockies and Montana.

The Miller Peak fire outside Missoula has burned over 2,600 acres with 25% containment. Gusty winds and warm temperatures could lead to increased fire activity again on Friday.

See the latest Air Resource Advisor report from the Miller Peak fire here

At 8:00 AM Friday, Libby, Columbia Falls, Cut Bank, Choteau, Seeley Lake, Frenchtown, Missoula, Helena, Dillon, Bozeman, Great Falls, Lewistown, Havre, Malta, Sidney, Glendive, Miles City, Broadus, and Billings were enduring Moderate air quality. Butte was experiencing air that is considered Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups. Hamilton was experiencing air that is considered Very Unhealthy.

Friday morning’s satellite reveals heavy smoke wildfires burning in Idaho, drifting across the border into Southwest Montana.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Cooler, drier air continues to mix into the Northern Rockies. Numerous active fires burning in Idaho will continue to send smoke over the border into parts of Southwest Montana. Breezy conditions in the afternoon will help fan the flames on existing wildfires, while allowing surface smoke concentrations to improve slightly.

A zonal flow will keep temperatures closer to average this weekend. Breezy westerly winds will likely lead to additional fire growth on existing fires and continue to send plumes of smoke into the Bitterroot Valley and parts of Southwest Montana through the weekend.

Next week, a ridge of high pressure builds back over the area. Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to return with afternoon highs well into the 90s. The combination of near-record warmth, dry fuels, and gusty afternoon winds will lead to additional fire growth. Unfortunately, rain chances will be few and far between over the next week.

By Saturday afternoon, the HRRR smoke model shows strong westerly winds pumping heavy smoke from regional wildfires into Montana. The Bitterroot Valley will continue to see some of the worst air quality from this pattern.

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 active wildfires in the west
Incident	State	location	acres	containment
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	West facing slope of West Mountain, Council Ranger District, Payette National Forest	400	0%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Hells Canyon, Council Ranger District Payette National Forest	600	0%
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	58%
Texas Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	Two miles East of Kendrick, ID	1,582	90%
Thunder Fire - IDSCF	Idaho, United States	12 miles south, southwest of Salmon, ID	2,200	0%
Horse Gulch Fire - MTHLF	Montana	1/2 mile north of Canyon Ferry Dam near Helena, Montana	15,167	95%
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,660	25%
Butler Creek Fire - MTMTS	Montana	5 miles northwest of Missoula	307	70%
Blacktail Canyon - MTBDF	Montana	4 miles southeast of Butte, MT	80	NA
Deadman Fire - MTMTS	Montana	Approx 17 mi south of Birney and north of the Tongue River Reservoir in Rosebud and Big Horn Counties	47,827	NA
Durkee Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	5 miles southwest of Durkee, Oregon	288,690	20%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lone Rock OR stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	136,561	45%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	856	0%
Falls Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	20 miles NW of Burns	141,926	50%
Telephone Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	16 miles north east of Burns, Oregon	12,180	0%
Jack Saddle - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 10 miles SSE of Dorena, Oregon	1,001	0%
Mineral - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 7 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	665	0%
Quartz - ORUPF	Oregon	10 miles SSE Dorena, OR	759	0%
Puddin - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 13 miles southeast of Dorena, OR	210	0%
Adam Mountain - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 6 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	1,421	0%
Clark 900 - OR770S	Oregon	37 miles northeast of Roseburg, OR	1,421	0%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	1,421	0%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	140,879	5%
Microwave Tower Fire - OR95S	Oregon	5 miles WSW of Mosier, OR	762	53%
Badland Complex 2024 - ORVAD	Oregon	Baker County, Oregon	51,196	0%
Ore Fire - ORWIF	Oregon	7 Miles NE of Blue River, OR	1,050	3%
Cow Valley Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	West of Brogan and Northwest of Vale	133,490	99%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	4,156	3%
Courtrock Fire - OR95S	Oregon	7.1 Miles S. of Monument, Oregon	5,170	0%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness	389	0%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	NA	1,044	0%
Boneyard Fire - OR95S	Oregon	10.4 Miles north of Monument, Oregon	49,716	3%
Salt Creek - OR710S	Oregon	5 miles SSW of Butte Falls, Oregon	4,102	100%
Larch Creek Fire - OR95S	Oregon	Friend, OR, a rural community	18,286	81%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	11 Miles East of Rimrock Lake, WA	13,183	0%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	31,583	14%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	397	0%
Big Horn Fire - WASES	Washington	7 miles SE of Bickleton Washington, and 7 miles N of Roosevelt, Washington	32,886	5%
Bridge Creek - WACOA	Washington	North of Bridge Creek, East of Elbow River	3,903	20%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johanasburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park C.G.	82	0%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	14,026	26%
Swawilla Fire - WACOA	Washington	North of Columbia River, East of Swawilla Basin, West of Hwy 21	30,667	10%
Black Canyon - WASES	Washington	10 Miles NW, Naches, WA	11,099	0%

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024