Idaho fires send smoke into Flathead Valley

Smoke from wildfires in North Idaho blew into the Flathead Valley on Wednesday as afternoon winds picked up.

Air quality dipped to moderate levels from Columbia Falls to Libby and Thompson Falls as gusts out of the west transported haze into the region from the 2,400-acre Lightning Creek Fire near Sandpoint, Idaho. The newly reported South Meadow Creek Fire near Yaak was also contributing to smoky skies.

The haze was expected to linger for a few days amid a dry and breezy weather pattern, the Montana DEQ warned in its air quality forecast Wednesday.

A lake wind advisory was also in place for the Flathead and Mission valleys through Wednesday night with gusts up to 30 mph possible.

Other large active fires in the region included the 14,000-acre Big Bear Fire in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, and the 26,000-acre Elkhorn Fire on Idaho's Payette National Forest.

"Smoke models continue to indicate that some of this smoke will be transported into the Treasure State between Thursday and Friday," the DEQ smoke forecast stated.

Beneficial rainfall is expected by Friday night and into the weekend, with a bull's eye on Northwest Montana. 

"The precipitation should help to moderate fire behavior and limit smoke production," the forecast stated.

Daytime highs in the Flathead Valley will top out in the 70s over the weekend.