Air Quality Alert issued for several Western Montana counties (Sept. 2)

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued an air quality alert for several Western Montana counties.

The alert will continue until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, for Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Granite, Missoula, Mineral, Lake, Ravalli, Sanders and Silver Bow counties due to elevated particulate levels from wildfire smoke.

• RELATED: Weather Forecast: High fire danger for Labor Day; scattered storms Tuesday

Several wildfires that burning in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana will continue to spread smoke into portions of Western Montana in the coming days.
Columbia Falls, Seeley Lake, Helena, Great Falls, Lewistown, Billings, Bozeman, Dillon were enduring Moderate air quality as of 1 p.m. on Monday.

Missoula and Butte were experiencing air that is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups while Hamilton was experiencing air that is considered Very Unhealthy.

Additional information about the air quality across Montana can be found at http://todaysair.mtdeq.us .