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Smoke Forecast for Thursday, August 28 2025 12:00 PM

  • August 28 2025

Current Conditions

An Air Resource Advisor has been assigned to the Bivens Creek and Cloudrest fires burning near Twin Bridges in southwest Montana.

Cooler air, higher humidity, and precipitation have helped to moderate fire behavior on many regional wildfires.

The Knowles fire burning near Paradise, Montana, has burned 3,822 acres. Recent precipitation has helped firefighting efforts, and the blaze is now 47% contained. Firefighters have begun making progress on the Bivens Creek and Cloudrest, burning in the Tobacco Root Mountains. The Bivens Creek fire is now 34% contained, and the Cloudrest fire is 12% contained. The West Fork fire burning just north of Hebgen Lake was less active on Thursday. The fire has burned 853 acres and is now 40% contained. The Windy Rock fire, burning 15 miles northeast of Drummond, was less active on Thursday but it continues to slowly grow. It has burned 3,895 acres and is 0% contained.  The Ransome fire, burning just north of Libby, was less active on Thursday thanks to clouds and cooler air. It has grown to 487 acres and is 0% contained. The Island Creek fire, burning in central Idaho, was less active on Thursday. It has grown to 11,591 acres and is only 5% contained.

At 12:00 PM Thursday, Havre, Sidney, Columbia Falls, and Great Falls’ air quality is Moderate.

By Friday evening, the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) smoke model shows a light northwesterly flow pushing smoke from regional wildfires into parts of the state.

HRRR Smoke Model

Source: HRRR-smoke

 

Forecast

Clouds, cooler temperatures, and precipitation have helped to moderate fire behavior and reduce smoke production on many regional wildfires. Smoke models continue to highlight an overall decrease in surface smoke over the next 48-hours. An anomalously moist airmass continues to lift slowly north across the state on Thursday, enhancing precipitation totals in many places.

The storm system shifts slowly north on Friday. A few scattered storms are possible in the afternoon, but the bulk of the precipitation will impact communities north of I-90. Transport winds will remain out of the northwest and that will bring some light surface smoke into the western third of the state from Idaho wildfires.

The monsoonal moisture exits the region over the weekend. Expect warmer and less humid air to return to the state. This will lead to more active fire behavior and an increase in smoke production. Recent thunderstorms combined with dry fuels could result in new fire starts over the weekend, particularly in southwest Montana where fuel moistures are more receptive.

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.

Thursday morning’s satellite image shows monsoonal moisture spreading clouds and precipitation into the western two thirds of the state.

Satellite Imagery

Source: NOAA


Current Wildfires
Incident Name State Location Acres Containment
Rock Fire   Idaho 5 miles southwest of Donnelly, ID 2792 42%
Sunset Fire  Idaho 26 Miles N of Coeur d'Alene, ID 3230 66%
East  Idaho 8 miles northwest of Powell Idaho 636 1%
Mire  Idaho Approximately 25 miles west of Powell Idaho 744 0%
Island Creek  Idaho Near Sob Point on the Moose Creek Ranger District. 11591 5%
Twin  Idaho 29 air miles northeast of Headquarters, ID in Twin Cabin Creek drainage, a tributary to Quartz Creek on the North Fork Ranger District. 272 0%
Lightning Creek Fire Idaho 9 miles north of Clark Fork, ID 2525 25%
Rush  Idaho 57 Miles NW of McCall, Idaho - Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness 7908 90%
Big Bear  Idaho 59 Miles NE of McCall, Idaho - Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness 15517 70%
Shingle  Idaho NA 100 55%
Cedar Fire  Idaho approximately 4 miles northeast of Clyde 898 90%
Elkhorn Fire  Idaho 45 Miles E of Challis, ID 1213 0%
Knowles Fire  Montana 11 Miles E of Plains, MT 3822 47%
Windy Rock Fire  Montana 15 Miles NE of Drummond, MT 3895 0%
Sandbar 2 Fire  Montana 15 miles east of Lincoln, Montana; north of Montana State Highway 279 and Flesher Pass 243 75%
Cloudrest  Montana 15 Miles northwest of Virginia City, MT 3476 12%
Bivens Creek  Montana 15 Miles North of Virginia City, MT 2233 34%
Ransome Fire  Montana 11 Miles northwest of Libby, MT 487 0%
Corral Creek Fire  Montana 4.5 miles south of Huson, MT 364 31%
McAllister Fire  Montana Madison County, 3 miles south of Norris, 3 miles north of Ennis Lake 3560 95%
West Fork Fire  Montana 23 Miles NW of West Yellowstone, MT, Custer Gallatin National Forest 853 40%
Gill Gulch Fire  Montana 7 Miles south of Lincoln, MT 34 75%
Emigrant Fire  Oregon 3 miles southwest of Indigo Springs Campground 7764 0%
Flat Fire  Oregon 4 Miles Northeast of Sisters, OR 23261 7%
Grande Fire  Washington 12 miles north of Colville 25 0%
Bear Gulch Fire Washington 10 Miles Northwest of Hoodsport, WA 8949 13%
Pomas Fire  Washington Approximately 36 miles northwest of Entiat, WA 3533 0%
Source: InciWeb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2025