Program Overview
The air quality in Montana is occasionally affected by smoke from wildfires during the summer months. Montana DEQ actively monitors smoke impacts from wildfires and provides regular smoke forecasts during the wildfire season.
Individuals experiencing air quality affected by wildfire smoke may visit the Today’s Air Website or use the Visibility Guidelines to evaluate air quality in their area.
Air Quality and Smoke Contacts
Air Quality Main Phone
(406) 444-3490
FAX (Helena)
(406) 444-1499
Air Program Contacts
Air Quality Planning - Administrative Rules and State Implementation Plan
(406) 444-9741
Meteorological Services & Smoke Forecasting
(406) 444-0283
Click on the following links for outdoor activities guidelines and recommendations. These recommendations for outdoor activities were developed by the Montana Department of Public Health and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality based on the amount of time spent outdoors and the state of air quality conditions, from good to hazardous. For Instructions on how to use these guidelines as well as a discussion of the information presented on the Today's Air website, please see the About Today’s Air document found here.
Outdoor Activity Guidelines: General Public
Outdoor Activity Guidelines: Schools and Childcare Facilities
The procedure for making personal observation to determine the forest fire smoke index value for local areas without National Weather Station (NWS) or Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors is:
- Face away from the sun.
- Determine the limit of your visible range by looking for targets at known distances (miles).
- Visible range is that point at which even high contrast objects totally disappear.
- Use the values below to determine the local forest fire smoke category.
| Health Effects Categories | Visibility Ranges (miles)3 |
|---|---|
| Hazardous | Less than 1.3 |
| Very Unhealthy | 2.1 - 1.3 |
| Unhealthy | 5.0 - 2.2 |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 8.7 - 5.1 |
| Moderate | 13.3 - 8.8 |
| Good | 13.4 + |
- See above "Health Impacts from Smoke" accordion for additional information.