2006 Forest Fire Air Quality Updates
September 7, 2006
10:00 AM
Current Situation
There is a huge mass of smoke overhead today, but surface concentrations are generally much better than they have been the last couple of days. One exception is the Gardiner and Cooke City areas where the northerly push that has helped many areas has moved a lot of smoke into locations that had been doing well before. Direct smoke impacts in the areas near the Derby and Paradise Valley fires, particularly in the drainages with active fires, is expected to be VERY UNHEALTHY or worse. The smoke aloft will be mixing down to the surface in many areas later today and easterly winds are expected to pick up by this afternoon. See the forecast below for details. Local episodes of smoke impacts are likely in many areas today, residents should pay attention to conditions in their area and use the VISIBILITY GUIDELINES to determine smoke levels in their area and guide their activity decisions.
Morning satellite photo centered on Great Falls
WeatherBug web cam photo of Livingston, MT 59047 by Pat Gilligan
DEQ web cam facing north towards the "Sleeping Giant" mountain
MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program
This morning’s analysis from NOAA's satellite services division shows the active fires in Montana and the smoke plumes combining and spreading downwind (the analyzed smoke is based on yesterday’s satellite coverage, the fire detects are based on last nights satellite coverage).
Red indicates hot spot detected. Grey represents smoke seen by satellite. Fire
size is exaggerated for visibility at this scale. To identify individual fires on graphic above go
here: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
Real time particulate information is currently available in most of the larger urban areas from several different sources including: DEQ run PM-10 BAMS and PM2.5 BAMS, NWS ASOS visibility monitors, and USFS remote access Nephelometers and BAMS.
This morning’s smoke report is below, comparing particulate levels where we have information to MDEQ’s Forest Fire health advisory levels. Smoke Categories
Updated 10:00 AM September 7, 2006
Locations and severity of forest fire smoke reports since midnight of the date above at reporting stations.
| Smoke Conditions | City |
|---|---|
| Hazardous | |
| Very Unhealthy | Mill Creek area (est) Derby Fire area (est) |
| Unhealthy | |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Libby T24 Whitefish T24 Kalispell T24 Polson T24 Missoula T24 Helena T1 Gardiner (est) |
| Moderate | Great Falls
Vis(1) Butte T8 Bozeman Vis(2) Hamilton T24 |
| Good |
|
T1(x) |
One-hour TEOM value (number of values) |
| T8(x)) | Eight-hour average TEOM value (number of values) |
| T244 | 24 hour average TEOM value |
| Vis(x) | Visibility value (number of hours) |
| Vis(am/pm) | Visibility value from twice/day reporting stations |
Local impacts in areas immediately adjacent to active fires are expected to exceed some or all of the advisory levels. DEQ recommends the use of local visibility guidelines to evaluate possible health risks and make informed activity decisions.
Forecast
The northwest flow aloft has moved a plume of smoke from the Tatoosh and Tripod Fires in northern Washington and southern British Columbia over the state today. Later this morning or early afternoon, as the mixing height reaches the level of the smoke aloft, smoke will be producing locally intense impacts across a wide range of the state today. These episodes should ease in most areas by this evening. A pronounced push of air from the east is expected to set up again by this afternoon. If the fire activity south of Big Timber picks up as a result, this will likely put a lot of smoke into the Bozeman area by morning. There is quite a lot of smoke moving east this morning over the southwest corner of the state from the fires in Idaho. Smoke impacts are expected to increase in the Butte, Dillon and West Yellowstone areas as a result. Smoke conditions will continue to be locally variable and dangerous conditions are possible in many areas. Residents are strongly cautioned to check their local conditions using the visibility guidelines to guide their activity decisions as the situation changes.
John Coefield
Meteorologist
MDEQ
