Today in Helena

Public Safety

Western Montana Is on Fire — and Helena Is Caught in the Smoke

If it felt like you couldn't catch a breath this week, you weren't imagining it. Wildfire smoke dominated the air quality conversation across Lewis and Clark County from Monday through Friday, with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest appearing in coverage nearly every day as the region's fire situation escalated fast. The Ant Park Fire drew a Northern Rockies Type 1 team and prompted road closures in the Little Belt Mountains. The Skillet Fire crossed 1,300 acres. Western Montana logged 118 new ignitions in a single week. A Red Flag Warning was still in effect for the Helena National Forest through Saturday evening, stacking fire risk on top of a heat advisory that could push local temperatures to 102 degrees. Helena got a brief reprieve Monday when the Air Quality Alert for Lewis and Clark County was lifted — but 'brief' is the operative word. The National Weather Service office in Great Falls, which issued multiple advisories this week, was one of the most-mentioned entities in this week's coverage. Bottom line for residents: fire season is not a forecast anymore. It's the current condition. Know your evacuation routes, keep N95 masks on hand, and check the DEQ's air quality map before spending extended time outdoors.