Wildfires

It's gorgeous, but it's smoky in Big Sky this week. It's been at unhealthy levels off and on for weeks now. Air Quality Index numbers have been hovering in the 120s.

Wildfire smoke has returned with a vengeance to most of Montana. Bozeman's AQI was as high as 175 on Monday morning...and that wasn't even the worst level in the state.

With all of the smoke in the air around Montana lately, you may have wondered about the health risks. Here's what the CDC and Montana DEQ say about it.

Three fires are continuing to cause concern.

Wednesday (9/4) could be the hottest day of the year in Billings. Some forecasts predict it could hit 103 in the Magic City, with no chance of rain. High wind gusts are also likely on Wednesday making conditions perfect for wildfires.

Obviously they cause death and destruction for the immediately affected area, but for people who have asthma or other respiratory conditions, they can cause serious breathing problems even for those hundreds of miles away from the flames. I have someone in my family whose asthma can be a real problem and there were many days last year where she simply had to stay indoors because the air quality was so poor.

On July 6th of this year the strongest earthquake in decades in Montana hit the Lincoln area and was recorded as a 5.8 magnitude. Yesterday to more small earthquakes hit the same general area. 2:44 am was a 3.5 magnitude and 3:30 am a 2...

After all of this smoke, you begin to wonder where you are at.  This a great picture I took a couple of days ago here in Billings at sundown.  (Too bad I didn't have more than a cell phone camera).  The fires continue to rage in the western part of the state, which of course we not only worry about them but get the smoke blowing our way...

Warm, windy conditions over the weekend fanned wildfires that are burning in the Western, Central and even Eastern part of Montana, filling the air with smoke which left some Billings residents reaching for facial masks. “Air quality in Yellowstone County has ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy over the past two weeks,” John Felton, Yellowstone County Health Officer, said

Tim Craig came into the studio to talk a little bit more about what M.O.R.E (Montana Organized Relief Effort) is doing to help people in Montana affected by the Roundup fires.