Air Quality

Missoula County Sheriff's deputies were blanketing the county on Tuesday issuing evacuation warnings to residents near the Lolo Creek Fire, The Rice Ridge Fire and the Sapphire Complex near Rock Creek.

There was so much smoke in the town of Seeley Lake this morning that the public was warned to stay indoors and to avoid exertion outside.

Montana's congressional delegation convinced FEMA administrators to grant wildfire recovery funds for the Lodgepole Complex in eastern Montana.

Surrounded by wildfires, Missoula's air quality varies from day to day, the time of day, and even various locations within the area.

The Lolo Peak Fire is just one of many small blazes that are burning around western Montana, dropping the Missoula valley's official air quality from 'Good' to 'Moderate'.

Missoula City County Health Department has called a stage one air alert because the air has started to deteriorate.

Just when western Montana thought it was in the clear (literally), wildfire smoke returned to the area.

Rain and cooler weather finally allowed aerial mapping of the West Fork Fish Creek fire in Mineral County. Evacuations lifted for the town of Essex.

Over the weekend, Missoula and western Montana residents were wondering if they would ever see the sun again, but Monday morning brought clear skies, and new hope,

Rain and cooler temperatures helped dampen some fires in western Montana, but others continue to burn in central and eastern Montana.

Air quality took a turn for the worst Saturday across most of western Montana.

Air quality has been a major problem in western Montana this summer, and many are wondering if this is the worst summer for breathing ever recorded. According to Meteorologist Chris Gibson, it isn’t quite the worst, but it is pretty close...