Wildfire in Alberta sends smoke into Montana

Although much of Montana has recently had fairly wet weather — including severe flooding in some areas — a haze in the air is reminding residents that fire season has arrived.

Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Wildfire Smoke Updates webpage reports that dense smoke from fires in northern Alberta moved into Montana overnight, following a lesser amount of smoke from the fires hitting Montana Thursday and creating hazy skies and moderate air quality in western Montana.

The situation worsened today, with air quality listed as unhealthy in Helena and unhealthy for sensitive groups in Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls and Lewistown and moderately unhealthy in Broadus, Columbia Falls, Dillon, Frenchtown, Malta and Missoula.

The page reports that northerly winds carried smoke from the fires south toward Montana Thursday, with dense smoke moving in overnight.

The Alberta fires remain out of control, producing an enormous amount of smoke, the page reports.

Alberta Wildfires website shows seven fires, starting west of Edmonton and ranging to near the province’s northern border.

This morning, DEQ’s page reported that air quality should slowly improve in many areas through the day as daytime heating will help to lift the smoke off the ground.

Thunderstorms are expected to roll through the state today, the site reports, saying the storms may help briefly improve air quality in areas that see heavy rain.

Overall, air quality along the Rocky Mountain Front will likely remain unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy, possibly improving to moderate by late afternoon.

Areas west of the Divide will likely fare better with the mountains acting to block some of the smoke. Air quality west of the Divide will likely range from good to moderate, the page said.

Any smoke that doesn’t clear by this evening will likely settle back down to the surface tonight, causing air quality to deteriorate once again, the site said.

Warm temperatures Saturday will once again help slowly lift the smoke and by Sunday afternoon, Montana should see widespread improvement across the state as the smoke is redirected away, with air quality expected to range from good to moderate.