Increased fire activity, smoke from Kootenai

The Kootenai National Forest ordered a Type I hotshot crew to help knock down wildfires near the Idaho border on Tuesday.

The forest’s fire dispatch office confirmed that fires burning since mid-August have seen increased fire activity during the recent bout of dry, warmer-than-average weather in the region. Most of the fire activity was limited to the Bull River area and the Klatawa and Sawtooth Fires, which have been burning in the far west part of the region since they were ignited by lightning in mid-August.

Smoke continued funneling into the Libby and Thompson Falls areas throughout the day, pushing air quality into the “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” levels, according to the Montana Division of Environmental Quality. The agency expected little change today, although relief from the smoky conditions could arrive as soon as this evening, as a moister, low pressure system is forecast to move into the area.

Downwind, the Flathead Valley was spared the effects of the smoke, although a faint haze was visible and the valley’s air monitor registered a slight increase in particulate levels Tuesday. However, the agency’s report noted that could change if wind pushes the smoke farther east.