Smoke Forecast for Monday, August 24, 2026 9:00 AM
Current Conditions
An Air Resource Advisor has been assigned to the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes Fires burning in the Pioneer Mountains of southwest Montana.
An Air Resource Advisor has been assigned to the smoke event across central and western Montana due to the massive wildfires in Oregon and Washington.
Sunday afternoon, the most active fires burning in the state include the Camp Creek Fire, burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The fire has burned close to 80 acres and will continue to send smoke into downwind communities like Great Falls and Choteau on Monday. The Deer Creek Fire, burning along the Lincoln and Flathead County border, remained active over the weekend. This fire has burned nearly a thousand acres and will send smoke into the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park in the coming days. The Bobcat Lakes and Sand Creek Fires, burning in the Pioneer Mountains, perked up over the weekend. Expect these fires to send smoke into downstream communities like Twin Bridges, Whitehall, and even Bozeman over the next 24-hours. There are a handful of active wildfires burning in central Idaho. These fires experienced significant growth overt the weekend. They will continue to send smoke into Sanders, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, and Beaverhead Counties in the coming days.
As of 8 AM, particulate levels in Great Falls are unhealthy for sensitive groups. Particulate levels in Lewistown, Hamilton, Havre, Columbia Falls, and Dillon are moderate.
By Tuesday afternoon, the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) smoke model shows areas of heavy surface smoke over northwest Montana from regional wildfires.
Source: HRRR-smoke
Forecast
High pressure will build over the Northern Rockies again on Monday. It will provide unseasonably warm temperatures and low humidity. Transport winds will remain out of the west for most Montana communities. This will send smoke from the Camp Creek Fire into downstream communities like Great Falls, Choteau, and Fairfield over the next 24-hours. A handful of wildfires burning in central Idaho will send smoke into several western Montana counties again on Monday.
Monsoonal moisture gradually spreads north on Tuesday. It will trigger widely scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms for the western half of the state. A trough sags south out of Canada late Monday into Tuesday. This will bring a cooler air to the eastern half of the state along with northeasterly transport winds. Forecast models bring surface smoke into the northeastern corner of the state on Tuesday from Canadian wildfires. Communities in and around Glendive, Sidney, and Glasgow will see the greatest impacts to air quality from this wind shift.
A trough is expected to return to the region beginning on Wednesday. This will usher in an active, southwesterly flow over the state. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely in the afternoon and early evening Wednesday and Thursday. However, a widespread soaking rainfall is unlikely with this scenario. Communities downstream of active fires will continue to see impacts to air quality in this pattern as temperatures warm above average and regional wildfires expand. 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 image shows widespread smoke over Montana thanks to local and regional wildfires.
Source: NOAA
| Incident Name | State | Location | Acres | Containment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moose Mountain | Idaho | Approximately 4 miles north of Kelly Forks Camp Ground | 3841 | 8% |
| Crooked | Idaho | 14 miles northeast of Idaho City Idaho, along the north fork of the Boise River | 1530 | 0% |
| Upper Smith Fire | Idaho | Six miles West of Porthill, Idaho | 4221 | 38% |
| Porcupine Fire | Idaho | Approximately 7 miles NE of Clark Fork, ID. | 127 | 0% |
| Little Weitas | Idaho | Approximately 19 miles East of Peirce, Idaho | 400 | NA |
| Tartar | Idaho | 21 Miles NW of Weiser, ID | 158027 | 98% |
| Cascade | Idaho | 22 miles East of Lowell, Idaho | 3300 | NA |
| Chimney Fire | Idaho | 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID | 6521 | 80% |
| Duncan | Idaho | 50 Miles SW of Mountain Home, ID | 16362 | 70% |
| Double Springs Fire | Idaho | 31 miles Northwest of Mackay , ID | 1779 | 18% |
| Sand Creek | Montana | 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom, Montana | 33088 | 14% |
| Bobcat Lakes | Montana | 12 miles east of Wisdom | 10030 | 40% |
| Moose Fire - | Montana | 24 miles southwest of Philipsburg | 5965 | 10% |
| Windmill Fire | Montana | 8 miles north of Reed Point, MT, Stillwater County | 4253 | 72% |
| Cherry Peak | Montana | 11 Miles SE of Thompson Falls, MT | 200 | 44% |
| Deer Creek | Montana | 18 Miles W of Marion, MT | 949 | 0% |
| Skillet Fire | Montana | 15 miles west of Olney, MT | 3384 | 82% |
| Silvertip Fire | Montana | NA | 6737 | 15% |
| Ant Park | Montana | NA | NA | NA |
| Nature Grove Fire | Montana | 13 miles east of Hamilton south of Highway 38 | 100 | NA |
| Black Bear Fire | Montana | 15 Miles E of Hamilton, MT | 2126 | 22% |
| North Fork Fire | Montana | 10 miles southwest of Hamilton, MT, north of North Fork Lost Horse Creek | 118 | 70% |
| Paradise Fire | Oregon | 15 miles south of Pendleton Oregon | 7994 | 0% |
| Hagen Fire | Oregon | 26 Miles East of Pendleton, OR | 59817 | 19% |
| Wrights Spring | Oregon | 2 Miles W of Sprague River OR | 54492 | 55% |
| Coleman Creek | Oregon | ~1 mile southeast of Juntura | 308863 | 99% |
| Jackass Butte | Oregon | 40 Miles S of Burns, OR | 24724 | 92% |
| Bald Mountain | Oregon | 50 Miles SE of Burns, OR | 76443 | 99% |
| Second Flat | Oregon | Six miles NE of Riley, OR | 105854 | 99% |
| Grasshopper Fire | Oregon | 3 miles North of Sportmans Park, OR | 93693 | 76% |
| Austin Fire | Oregon | 25 Miles SE of Estacada, OR | 5295 | 7% |
| Picture Rock | Oregon | 3 Miles N of Summer Lake, OR | 1228 | 75% |
| Rowe Creek Complex | Oregon | 10 Miles S of Fossil, OR | 373981 | 91% |
| Coyote Fire | Oregon | 5 miles south of Post, OR | 17460 | 96% |
| Shingle Fire | Oregon | 14 Miles SE of Mitchell, OR | 73183 | 95% |
| Henry Fire | Oregon | 5 Miles S of PAULINA GUARD STATION, OR | 29844 | 97% |
| Big Grass Fire | Oregon | Malheur County, Oregon and Owyhee County, Idaho | 578637 | 93% |
| Fielder Mountain | Oregon | 1 mile west of Rogue River, OR | 573 | 93% |
| Rosenbaum Fire | Oregon | 10 Miles NW of Spray, OR | 483 | 89% |
| Cottonwood Fire | Oregon | 15 miles southwest of Long Creek, Oregon | 722 | 95% |
| Little Bear | Oregon | 8 Miles NE of Mt. Vernon, OR | 67 | 95% |
| Bologna Fire | Oregon | 7 miles northeast of Kimberly, OR | 4509 | 95% |
| Castle | Oregon | 23 Miles NE of Tiller, OR | 3613 | 94% |
| Fox Fire | Oregon | 12 Miles NE of Huntington, OR | 78903 | 90% |
| Powder River Fire | Oregon | 4 Miles SW of RICHLAND, OR | 21088 | 96% |
| Horse Ridge Fire | Oregon | 25 Miles East of Pendleton, OR | 860 | 98% |
| Burnt Creek Fire | Oregon | 23 Miles N of Enterprise, OR | 4169 | 87% |
| Bench | Oregon | 4 miles south of Warm Springs, OR | 67071 | 86% |
| Salmon Fire | Oregon | 34 Miles SW of Baker City, OR | 1433 | 88% |
| Akawa Butte Fire | Oregon | 13 Miles NE of Sisters, OR | 27491 | 99% |
| Hat Fire | Oregon | 40 Miles East of Burns, OR | 44122 | 99% |
| Hay Creek Complex | Oregon | Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco counties, Oregon | 200292 | 97% |
| Anthony Fire | Oregon | 34 miles north of Baker City, OR | 2585 | 89% |
| Stubble | Oregon | 15 Miles SW of Lawen, OR | 15673 | 87% |
| Crater | Oregon | 35 Miles S of Burns, OR | 745 | 93% |
| Egypt Fire | Oregon | 12 Miles N of Riley, OR | 4595 | 68% |
| North Cayuse Fire | Oregon | 15 miles east of Pendleton, OR. | 4887 | 91% |
| Sisi Fire | Washington | Chelan County, WA | 878 | 0% |
| Little Giant Fire | Washington | 30 miles NW of Leavenworth, WA | 146037 | 15% |
| Three Queens | Washington | 6 Miles E of Snoqualmie Pass, WA | 6705 | 13% |
| King Fire | Washington | 7 Miles NE of Snoqualmie Pass, WA | 558 | 0% |
| Goat | Washington | 15 Miles N of Ronald, WA | 50 | 0% |
| Colwash | Washington | 5 Miles W of Mabton, WA | 38599 | 8% |
| Kaiser Canyon | Washington | 1 mile S of Nespelem, WA | 138284 | 98% |
| Grand Park 2 Fire | Washington | Seven miles southwest of Snoquera, WA | 168 | 67% |
| Sinlahekin Fire | Washington | 12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA | 155209 | 53% |
| Modrite Fire | Washington | 17 Miles SW of Inchelium, WA | 57594 | 98% |
| Backbone | Washington | 7 miles northeast of Packwood, Washington | 17 | 26% |
| Border 2 Fire | Washington | 20 Miles NE of Marblemount, WA | 7401 | 40% |
| Luna Fire | Washington | 10 Miles North of Newhalem, WA | 4670 | 0% |
| Ptarmigan Fire | Washington | 20 Miles NW of Mazama, WA | 24770 | 55% |
| High Lava Fire | Washington | 11 Miles NW of Stabler, WA | 1908 | 19% |
| Hill Loop | Washington | 13 miles N of Kettle Falls, WA | 133 | 24% |
| Reevas Basin - | Washington | 3 Miles SE of Tonasket, WA | 233 | 80% |
| Mount Tom Creek Fire | Washington | Olympic National Park | 69 | 75% |
| Hudspeth Fire | Washington | 3 miles northeast of Hunters, Washington | 6726 | 96% |
| Bradeen Hill Fire | Washington | 17 Miles SW of Colville, WA | 4417 | 92% |
| Spokane Area Fires | Washington | Spokane County, Washington | 9932 | NA |
| Wells Road Fire | Washington | 14 Miles NE of St John, WA | 1865 | 78% |
| Skyo Fire | Washington | 3 Miles SW of Packwood, WA | 254 | 83% |
| Chelan Hills | Washington | 1 Mile N of Orando | 9735 | 75% |
Tags: smoke forecast