Smoke may give way to rainfall

At least some of the smoke that has recently been drifting into the Flathead Valley is likely coming from wildfires in Sanders County.

The Thompson River Complex is made up of several fires that have merged in steep, rocky terrain about six miles east of Thompson Falls. The complex has burned about 1,310 acres and is only about 25 percent contained.

Because of the steep and rocky terrain, suppression efforts have been hindered and firefighters have mainly been working to contain it within that terrain. The fires were first detected on Aug. 1, and about 450 people are assigned to it currently.

The Seepay Fire on Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal land about 20 miles west of Dixon, has burned about 880 acres so far. The fire continues to be active and about 110 people are working on it.

Smoke from fires in Idaho, Washington and Oregon also has been funneled into the Flathead Valley.

A big weather shift is expected today, with the National Weather Service predicting showers, thunderstorms and a 90 percent chance of rain. Rain is predicted through Friday night.