From the Missoulian: "Hundreds of wildland fires in California, many started by lightning strikes, are gobbling up thousands of acres, destroying structures and forcing people to flee their neighborhoods.
"And winds from California have pushed the smoke north along the coast into British Columbia, then down into Montana, said Mamie Colburn, air quality specialist at the Missoula City-County Health Department."
As we move into fire season again, here are resources to help you find out about fire conditions, wildfire safety, and the origins of local, smoky air.
Fire & Smoke Management - DEQ. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) tracks air quality in Montana and issues daily forest fire air quality updates. The air quality updates also indicate where the smoke in Montana skies is coming from.
Montana Fire Conditions. The state of Montana has assembled a page with various fire-related resources, including air quality reports, fire restriction information, fire conditions, and tax relief.
InciWeb. This site assembles a great deal of information on ongoing or recent fires, including incident data, containment levels, maps, planned actions, and more. The site is updated frequently.
National Interagency Fire Center. This site provides daily wildland fire updates, statistics, safety tips, and more.
Northern Rockies Coordination Center (NRCC). The NRCC provides frequent updates on fires in Montana, Idaho, and North Dakota. The site also offers regional information on fire danger and fire forecasts.
MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program. This program is part of the Remote Sensing Applications Center of the Forest Service. The program has national and regional maps of fires, hot spots, and smoke plumes. Use this site for a visual overview of current fire activity.
The Missoula County Environmental Health Division has also created a page on Wildfire Smoke Information.
Source: Moy, C. (9 July 2008). "California wildfires bring haze to region." Missoulian. A1.
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