The current air quality across Missoula County is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy for Everyone. See current air quality conditions at Fire.AirNow.Gov. We are seeing active wildfire conditions across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, with fires producing large plumes of smoke that are blanketing northwest Montana. The steady southwesterly flow continues to transport wildfire smoke primarily from Oregon towards Missoula County and many parts of western Montana. When smoke is overhead in the late afternoon like it was on Saturday, as the sun sets, smoke can sink down into valleys worsening air quality. As the sun rises, smoke on the valley floor will lift out and result in some improvement. With this much smoke overhead, expect smoky days and smokier nights. This will continue into the upcoming week. You can find more information about wildfires across the country at InciWeb.
When the Air Quality Index is Red or Unhealthy for Everyone, everyone of people should shorten and reduce the intensity of any outdoor activities. You will likely experience symptoms of short-term exposure to wildfire smoke such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue, respiratory irritation, and congestion, especially since we’ve had smoke in the air for over a week straight. Be sure to follow your asthma plan or health care provider recommendations as necessary and check out the AQI Activity Guide. It’s imperative to take steps to limit your smoke exposure for your health because exposure to smoke also weakens our immune system, sets off inflammatory responses, reduces our cognitive function, reduces our lung capacity, and more.
For ways to keep smoke out of your living space and reduce your exposure to smoke, explore the resources at MontanaWildfireSmoke.org. Creating a clean indoor air space is the best way to reduce your exposure to smoke, either through using a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter or a MERV 13+ furnace filter attached to a box fan. When it’s hot and smoky like it is, it can be difficult to cool indoor spaces and keep indoor air clean with an AC unit. Try opening your windows once it’s colder outside than it is inside, cool your home off, then shut the windows and run a HEPA air cleaner or box fan filter.