Wildfire smoke pushed into Lewis and Clark County this week as fire activity ramped up across Montana and the broader region, with air quality readings in much of western Montana hitting or exceeding 100 on the Air Quality Index. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality flagged the deteriorating conditions Monday, and the National Weather Service office in Great Falls followed with a formal air quality alert covering Lewis and Clark County.
The alert, issued at 8:43 a.m. Monday, July 27, listed Lewis and Clark County among 21 Montana counties under warning, with the advisory running through 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 28. The NWS alert cited upward-trending particulate levels as the basis for the warning. At those concentrations, health officials typically advise residents with respiratory conditions, the elderly, and children to limit time outdoors and keep windows closed.
The most visible driver of the smoke is the Elder 1 Fire, which was burning in the Lolo National Forest approximately seven miles from Frenchtown as of Monday. The U.S. Forest Service released aerial photos of the fire Monday showing active flame and heavy smoke columns. Conditions across the region — dry fuels, heat, and wind — are consistent with what fire managers expect during the peak of Montana's fire season.
Residents in Helena who stepped outside Monday noticed the hazy skies and the familiar acrid smell that has become a recurring feature of late July and August in the valley. The DEQ's air quality monitoring data is available in real time at svc.mt.gov/deq/airquality, and the agency said it will continue to update conditions as fire activity evolves.