wildfires

Dangerously hot temperatures are forecasted for portions of both western and eastern Montana through Friday. We've already weathered weeks of hot, dry days and with daytime highs reaching 105 - fire danger and health risks are big concerns.

Almost the entire state of Montana is under some sort of heat and fire advisory on Thursday. Excessive heat continues for dozens of counties, and Red Flag Warning persist for huge chunks of Montana. Windy conditions are expected with some thunderstorm activity, increasing the chance of existing fires to grow.

Despite initial fears of a severe fire season, recent weather improvements in the Northern Rockies may reduce wildfire risks this summer.

Montana's snow drought triggers ski area closures, wildfire fears, and wildlife concerns.

Very dry conditions, gusty winds up to 40 MPH, and the chance of lightning storms have created dangerous fire conditions across all of western Montana on Friday. Any wildfires that start today will be difficult to contain, so Red Flag Warnings have been issued across the western counties.

Wildfire smoke from Canada, and the smoke from fires within Montana dropped the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Montana by dozens of points on Wednesday. Thursday isn't looking too promising either with Air Quality Alerts and Heat Advisories in effect for large portions of the state.

Red Flag Warnings have been issued for a large area covering Fort Peck Lake and the Missouri River on Thursday. Very dry conditions and gusty winds up to 40 MPH today make for extremely precarious conditions.

Montana has been surrounded by raging wildfires all summer and now we have plenty of our own to deal with. One of the most challenging aspects of these wildfires is the particulate filled smoke that they produce. It can stay localized in valleys or continuously blow into the state with the jet stream. How can you stay healthy if you're susceptible to breathing issues?

Here's an updated list of the largest wildfires currently burning in Montana.

Over 60% of the wildfires in Montana are human-caused. We can do better. Here are some things that you can do to help prevent wildfires in Montana.

The Moose Fire burning near Salmon Idaho in the Salmon-Challis National Forest has been burning since July 17 and has consumed nearly 60,000 acres, primarily in wilderness areas.

The Elmo Fire, burning near the west shore of Flathead Lake is now estimated to be over 16,000 acres and about 10 percent contained.