Smoke Forecast for Monday, August 4, 2025 9:30 AM
Current Conditions
A couple of active fires in Idaho will continue to transport smoke into western Montana at times on Monday.
The Lightning Creek fire started on Wednesday just east of Sandpoint, Idaho and has grown to 1,562 acres. It is 0% contained. The fire grew rapidly over the weekend and sent a plume of smoke into parts of Lincoln and Flathead Counties. The Big Bear and Rush fires continue to burn in the Bitterroot Range of central Idaho, just southwest of the Bitterroot Valley. The Big Bear fire has grown to 14,935 acres and is 50% contained while the Rush fire is up to 7,382 acres and is 90% contained. Recent precipitation, cooler temperatures, and higher humidity continue to limit smoke production on these blazes.
At 9:00 AM Monday, Libby, Great Falls, Billings, Malta, Sidney, Glendive, Miles City, and Havre’s air quality is Moderate.
By Tuesday evening, the HRRR smoke model shows surface smoke from the Lightning Creek fire drifting into northwest Montana.
Source: HRRR-smoke
Forecast
Smoke models continue to show the Lightning Creek fire, burning just east of Sandpoint, Idaho, remaining active again on Monday. It will send smoke into northwest Montana, particularly Lincoln and Flathead Counties. A trough shifts inland over the Pacific Northwest on Monday. It will provide more widespread precipitation for the region while maintaining seasonably wet fuel moistures.
A zonal flow develops across the Treasure State by Tuesday and Wednesday. It will allow afternoon highs to slowly moderate. The gradual warm-up and gusty afternoon winds will lead to more active fire behavior and increased smoke production on the Big Bear and Lightning Creek fires burning just across the border from Montana in Idaho. Communities downwind of these fires, like the Bitterroot Valley and northwest Montana, could see an uptick in surface smoke from this pattern.
A trough will march across the Northern Rockies starting Thursday and into the weekend. It will be accompanied by gusty winds and widespread precipitation. Temperatures should cool significantly, and afternoon temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average. The combination of cooler air and precipitation should help moderate fire behavior and reduce smoke production on regional blazes. Thankfully, fuel moistures remain anomalously wet throughout the state, except for portions of southwest Montana which are closer to average. This will tend to limit new fire starts and slow the spread of existing wildfires. Stay tuned!
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.
Monday morning’s satellite shows showers and thunderstorms moving across north-central Montana.
Source: NOAA
| Incident Name | State | Location | Acres | Containment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Creek | Idaho | Moose Creek Ranger District | 43 | NA |
| Lightning Creek Fire | Idaho | 8 miles east-northeast of Hope, ID | 1562 | 0% |
| Rush | Idaho | 57 Miles NW of McCall, Idaho - Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness | 7392 | 90% |
| Big Bear | Idaho | 59 Miles NE of McCall, Idaho - Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness | 14935 | 50% |
| Shingle | Idaho | NA | 100 | NA |
| Post Fire | Idaho | North of US Highway 12, East of Mocus Point Trailhead | 144 | 94% |
| Cedar Fire | Idaho | approximately 4 miles northeast of Clyde | 536 | 0% |
| Sucker Creek Fire | Montana | 2 miles northwest of Lincoln, Montana | 55 | 70% |
| Green Mountain Fire & Garnet Fire | Montana | NA | 70 | 75% |
| Dominic Point Fire | Montana | NA | 31 | 53% |
| Butte Creek | Oregon | 2 miles west of Simnasho, Oregon | 2079 | 85% |
| Hagelstein Fire | Oregon | 14 miles north of Klamath Falls, Oregon | 669 | 75% |
| Elk Fire | Oregon | 7 miles SW of Beatty, Oregon | 2637 | 95% |
| Pomas Fire 2025 | Washington | Approximately 36 miles northwest of Entiat, WA | 3462 | NA |
| Stud Horse Fire | Washington | 2 miles east of Winthrop, WA | 539 | 75% |
| Castle Rock Fire | Washington | 6 Miles SE of Colville, WA | 58 | 20% |
| Bear Gulch Fire | Washington | 10 Miles Northwest of Hoodsport, WA | 4760 | 3% |
| Kinkaid Creek Fire | Washington | 8 Miles N of Nespelem, WA | 172 | 0% |
| Hope Fire | Washington | Approximately 15 Miles north of Kettle Falls, WA and 5 miles southwest of Northport, WA | 8177 | 95% |
Tags: Smoke Forecast 2025