Smoke Forecast for Tuesday, September 1, 2026 9:30 AM

September 01 2026

Current Conditions

Warmer temperatures, abundant sunshine, and gusty afternoon winds led to more active fire behavior on Monday. Numerous wildfires with little activity over the weekend perked up on Monday thanks to these conditions. Monday afternoon, the most active wildfire burning in Montana was the Nature Grove Fire, burning in the Sapphire Mountains, just southeast of Hamilton. This fire has burned over 1,200 acres and will continue to send smoke to communities like Phillipsburg, Anaconda, and Deer Lodge again on Tuesday. The Bobcat Lakes and Sand Creek Fires, burning in the Pioneer Mountains, were more active on Monday afternoon, with a plume visible on the satellite. The Bobcat Lakes Fire has burned nearly 11,000 acres and the Sand Creek Fire has burned over 34,000 acres. Southwesterly transport winds will push smoke from these fires into downstream communities like Wise River, Butte, and Whitehall over the next 24-hours. There are also a handful of active wildfires burning in central Idaho. Transport winds will remain out of the southwest again on Tuesday. Communities up and down the Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys will see impacts from these fires again.

As of 8 AM, particulate levels in Hamilton are moderate.

By Wednesday afternoon, the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) smoke model shows light surface smoke covering the western third of the state from regional wildfires.

HRRR Smoke Model

Source: HRRR-smoke

Forecast

Wildfire activity picked up on the fires burning in the Sapphire and Pioneer Mountains on Monday. Southwesterly transport winds will continue again on Tuesday, bringing the greatest impacts to air quality to communities downwind of these fires. Additionally, there are a handful of active fires burning in central Idaho, so expect some surface smoke to effect towns in the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys again on Tuesday thanks to southwesterly transport winds. Tuesday will be a transition day as high pressure begins to weaken. However, unseasonably warm air, low humidity, and gusty afternoon winds will bring another day of active fire behavior.

A broad trough will drift inland Wednesday through Friday. Impulses rotating around the trough will provide daily chances for showers and thunderstorms across the state. However, most of this precipitation will impact areas along and west of the Continental Divide. Unfortunately, this precipitation won’t be widespread. Gusty winds and low afternoon humidity could create active fire weather conditions during this timeframe.

Troughing will remain over the region into the weekend. This should keep temperatures cooler than average and provide daily chances for showers and thunderstorms. This pattern should help keep wildfires in check and reduce surface smoke production. Additionally, the burning window for fire growth is shrinking this time of year thanks to a lower sun angle and less daylight. 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.

Tuesday morning’s satellite image shows an approaching trough moving into the Pacific Northwest with some patchy wildfire smoke covering the western third of Montana.

Satellite Imagery western US

Source: NOAA

Current Wildfires

Incident Name	State	Location	Acres	Containment
Crooked	Idaho	14 miles northeast of Idaho City Idaho, along the north fork of the Boise River	9054	21%
Silver Fire	Idaho	Southeast side of Silver Dollar Peak near Roman Nose	2424	0%
Dudley Fire	Idaho	Five miles north of Wallace Idaho	672	14%
Border Fire	Idaho	3 miles W of Porthill, ID	46	20%
Upper Smith Fire	Idaho	Six miles West of Porthill, Idaho	4788	42%
Parker Lake Fire	Idaho	It is located in Long Creek Canyon 20 miles NW of Bonners Ferry, ID in the Kootenai River Valley.	1403	0%
Porcupine Fire	Idaho	Approximately 7 miles NE of Clark Fork, ID.	180	0%
Moose Mountain	Idaho	Approximately 4 miles north of Kelly Forks Camp Ground	5486	8%
Selway Wilderness Fires	Idaho	22 miles East of Lowell, Idaho	6800	50%
Double Springs Fire	Idaho	31 miles Northwest of Mackay , ID	1779	35%
Little Weitas	Idaho	Approximately 19 miles East of Peirce, Idaho	650	NA
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%
Sand Creek	Montana	7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom, Montana	34733	13%
Bobcat Lakes	Montana	12 miles east of Wisdom	10828	45%
Deer Creek	Montana	18 Miles W of Marion, MT	1099	96%
Moose Fire	Montana	24 miles southwest of Philipsburg	5983	12%
Camp Creek Fire	Montana	Within the Bob Marshall Wilderness 40 miles west of Augusta, Montana	9613	0%
Nature Grove Fire	Montana	13 miles east of Hamilton south of Highway 38	1141	0%
Silvertip Fire	Montana	NA	7247	15%
Skillet Fire	Montana	15 miles west of Olney, MT	3409	82%
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%
Rowe Creek Complex	Oregon	10 Miles S of Fossil, OR	373927	96%
Austin Fire	Oregon	25 Miles SE of Estacada, OR	11682	0%
McCully Fire	Oregon	22 miles northwest of Baker City, Oregon	12561	4%
Wrights Spring	Oregon	2 Miles W of Sprague River OR	55134	95%
Grasshopper Fire	Oregon	14 miles SW of Dufur, OR	93961	83%
Paradise Fire	Oregon	18 Miles E of Milton-Freewater, Oregon	9466	15%
Big Grass Fire	Oregon	25 Miles SW of JORDAN VALLEY, OR	578637	94%
Hagen Fire	Oregon	26 Miles East of Pendleton, OR	61125	50%
Camp Creek Fire	Oregon	Zigzag Ranger District, 10 miles east of Sandy, OR	2055	62%
Horse Ridge Fire	Oregon	25 Miles East of Pendleton, OR	860	98%
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%
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%
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%
Luna Fire	Washington	10 Miles North of Newhalem, WA	7282	33%
Border 2 Fire	Washington	20 Miles NE of Marblemount, WA	8043	72%
Sinlahekin Fire	Washington	12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA	166378	39%
High Lava	Washington	11 Miles NW of Stabler, WA	2894	37%
Sisi Fire	Washington	10 miles northwest of Stehekin, WA	2244	0%
Little Giant Fire	Washington	30 miles NW of Leavenworth, WA	171302	49%
Three Queens	Washington	6 Miles E of Snoqualmie Pass, WA	8993	5%
Backbone	Washington	7 miles northeast of Packwood, Washington	17	89%
Ptarmigan Fire	Washington	20 Miles NW of Mazama, WA	25166	55%
Electric Fire	Washington	7 Miles N of Marblemount, WA	576	0%
Wonderland Complex	Washington	9 Miles SE of Snoquera, WA	339	0%
Goat	Washington	15 Miles N of Ronald, WA	668	0%
King Fire	Washington	7 Miles NE of Snoqualmie Pass, WA	2133	0%
Hill Loop	Washington	13 miles N of Kettle Falls, WA	127	95%
Colwash	Washington	5 Miles W of Mabton, WA	39073	95%
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	NA	9861	95%

Source: InciWeb

Tags: smoke forecast