Smoke Forecast for Friday, August 28, 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.
Thursday afternoon, the most active fires burning in the state include the Camp Creek and Silvertip Fires, burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Both fires were active again on Thursday. The Camp Creek Fire has now burned over 8,400 acres and the Silvertip Fire has burned close to 7,000 acres. Southwesterly transport winds will send smoke into Shelby, Choteau, and Conrad on Friday. However, transport winds will be more westerly Saturday and Sunday. The Nature Grove Fire, burning in the Sapphire Mountains just southeast of Hamilton, was also active on Thursday. It has now burned over 850 acres. Westerly transport winds between Friday and Sunday will push smoke from the Nature Grove Fire into communities around Georgetown Lake, Phillipsburg, and Anaconda. Fortunately, the Bobcat Lakes and Sand Creek Fires, burning in the Pioneer Mountains, showed very little activity on Thursday.
As of 8 AM, particulate levels in Frenchtown, Missoula, Great Falls, Libby, Cut Bank, Helena, Sleeping Giant, Hamilton, Butte, and Dillon are moderate.
By Saturday afternoon, the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) smoke model shows reduced surface smoke around the state thanks to clouds, cooler air, and precipitation.
Source: HRRR-smoke
Forecast
Friday will be the final warm day for quite some time. Expect another day with southwesterly winds ahead of a Pacific trough. Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon and early evening on Friday. The combination of unseasonably warm temperatures, low humidity, and gusty afternoon winds will bring one last day with active fire weather before a pattern shift brings some relief.
An area of low pressure is expected to move across the state on Saturday. This should provide widespread rain and scattered thunderstorms for the region. Outside of northwest Montana, most of the state will see a soaking from this event, with the highest totals south of I-90. Afternoon highs will cool closer to average on Saturday with highs in the 60s possible for some on Sunday. Clouds, cooler air, and widespread precipitation will help to moderate fire behavior and reduce smoke production on regional wildfires. However, because of westerly transport winds and limited precipitation, northwest Montana will continue to see air quality impacts from active wildfires burning in Washington and northern Idaho through the weekend.
The weather pattern stays active into much of the following week as a broad trough remains in place across much of the western United States. This will keep temperatures near to slightly cooler than normal for early September. The trough will also provide daily chances for showers and thunderstorms. The pattern should also help to ease fire behavior on regional blazes. 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.
Friday morning’s satellite image shows some smoke over northwest Montana while an area of low-pressure marches inland.
Source: NOAA
| Incident Name | State | Location | Acres | Containment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crooked | Idaho | 14 miles northeast of Idaho City Idaho, along the north fork of the Boise River | 6281 | 14% |
| Dudley Fire | Idaho | NA | 150 | 0% |
| Selway Wilderness Fires | Idaho | 22 miles East of Lowell, Idaho | 6800 | 50% |
| Parker Lake Fire | Idaho | It is located in Long Creek Canyon 20 miles NW of Bonners Ferry, ID in the Kootenai River Valley. | 443 | 0% |
| Upper Smith Fire | Idaho | Six miles West of Porthill, Idaho | 4576 | 36% |
| Silver Fire | Idaho | Southeast side of Silver Dollar Peak near Roman Nose. | 250 | 0% |
| Porcupine Fire | Idaho | Approximately 7 miles NE of Clark Fork, ID. | 145 | 0% |
| Moose Mountain | Idaho | Approximately 4 miles north of Kelly Forks Camp Ground | 4787 | 8% |
| Little Weitas | Idaho | Approximately 19 miles East of Peirce, Idaho | 650 | NA |
| Lake | Idaho | 4 Miles SW of Secesh, ID | 161 | 100% |
| Tartar | Idaho | 21 Miles NW of Weiser, ID | 158027 | 98% |
| 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 | 35% |
| Deer Creek | Montana | 18 Miles W of Marion, MT | 1099 | 35% |
| Moose Fire | Montana | 24 miles southwest of Philipsburg | 5965 | 10% |
| Bobcat Lakes | Montana | 12 miles east of Wisdom | 10371 | 40% |
| Sand Creek | Montana | 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom, Montana | 33815 | 11% |
| Silvertip Fire | Montana | NA | 6908 | 15% |
| Camp Creek Fire | Montana | Within the Bob Marshall Wilderness 40 miles west of Augusta, Montana | 7240 | 0% |
| Skillet Fire | Montana | 15 miles west of Olney, MT | 3409 | 82% |
| Ant Park | Montana | NA | NA | NA |
| Nature Grove Fire | Montana | 13 miles east of Hamilton south of Highway 38 | 855 | 0% |
| North Fork Fire | Montana | 10 miles southwest of Hamilton, MT, north of North Fork Lost Horse Creek | 118 | 70% |
| Black Bear Fire | Montana | 15 Miles E of Hamilton, MT | 2126 | 22% |
| Big Grass Fire | Oregon | Malheur County, Oregon and Owyhee County, Idaho | 578637 | 93% |
| Wrights Spring | Oregon | 2 Miles W of Sprague River OR | 55134 | 75% |
| Hagen Fire | Oregon | 26 Miles East of Pendleton, OR | 60645 | 33% |
| McCully Fire | Oregon | 22 miles southwest of Baker City, Oregon | 8872 | 0% |
| Paradise Fire | Oregon | 15 miles south of Pendleton Oregon | 9272 | 13% |
| Rowe Creek Complex | Oregon | 10 Miles S of Fossil, OR | 373927 | 93% |
| Austin Fire | Oregon | 25 Miles SE of Estacada, OR | 9237 | 0% |
| Grasshopper Fire | Oregon | 14 miles SW of Dufur, OR | 93841 | 76% |
| Henry Fire | Oregon | 5 Miles S of PAULINA GUARD STATION, OR | 29844 | 97% |
| Coyote Fire | Oregon | 5 miles south of Post, OR | 17460 | 96% |
| Shingle Fire | Oregon | 14 Miles SE of Mitchell, OR | 73183 | 95% |
| Second Flat | Oregon | Six miles NE of Riley, OR | 105854 | 99% |
| Jackass Butte | Oregon | 40 Miles S of Burns, OR | 24724 | 92% |
| Bald Mountain | Oregon | 50 Miles SE of Burns, OR | 76443 | 99% |
| Coleman Creek | Oregon | ~1 mile southeast of Juntura | 308863 | 99% |
| Picture Rock | Oregon | 3 Miles N of Summer Lake, OR | 1228 | 75% |
| 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% |
| Wonderland Complex | Washington | 9 Miles SE of Snoquera, WA | 339 | 0% |
| Little Giant Fire | Washington | 30 miles NW of Leavenworth, WA | 161236 | 25% |
| Sisi Fire | Washington | 10 miles northwest of Stehekin, WA | 1099 | 0% |
| Sinlahekin Fire | Washington | 12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA | 163001 | 49% |
| Grand Park 2 Fire | Washington | Seven miles southwest of Snoquera, WA | 168 | 82% |
| King Fire | Washington | 7 Miles NE of Snoqualmie Pass, WA | 1835 | 0% |
| Three Queens | Washington | 6 Miles E of Snoqualmie Pass, WA | 8240 | 5% |
| Goat | Washington | 15 Miles N of Ronald, WA | 561 | 0% |
| Backbone | Washington | 7 miles northeast of Packwood, Washington | 17 | 89% |
| Luna Fire | Washington | 10 Miles North of Newhalem, WA | 5039 | 29% |
| Border 2 Fire | Washington | 20 Miles NE of Marblemount, WA | 7864 | 42% |
| Electric Fire | Washington | 7 Miles N of Marblemount, WA | 500 | 0% |
| High Lava Fire | Washington | 11 Miles NW of Stabler, WA | 2771 | 25% |
| Hill Loop | Washington | 13 miles N of Kettle Falls, WA | 127 | 95% |
| Skyo Fire | Washington | 3 Miles SW of Packwood, WA | 254 | 99% |
| Colwash | Washington | 5 Miles W of Mabton, WA | 39073 | 95% |
| Ptarmigan Fire | Washington | 20 Miles NW of Mazama, WA | 24770 | 55% |
| 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% |
| Chelan Hills | Washington | 1 Mile N of Orando | 9735 | 75% |
Tags: smoke forecast