Currently, there are more than 74 major wildfires burning in 8 western states including Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and California. The map was current as of 9 a.m. MDT on Thursday. MISSOULA- The National Weather Service Red Flag Warnings for areas in Montana and Idaho. Smoke from fires in Canada has settled over parts of Montana, leaving swaths of the state with August-like skies and poor air quality. "We are starting to see some more dense smoke moving in … Image of the Day Atmosphere. Caption by Holli Riebeek. The long-distance travel of pollution causes problems for regional air quality agencies. State and local health officials recommend people with respiratory problems, children and the elderly avoid prolonged exertion until air quality improves. NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen and Holli Riebeek, using MODIS data provided courtesy of the the Goddard Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) and the MODIS Rapid Response team. Thick aerosols (shown in dark brown) appear directly over the fires and farther afield in eastern Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and central Canada, indicating that the smoke had drifted far to the east. To read more about Szykman’s work on IDEA, please see A new IDEA in air quality monitoring on the Earth Observatory. Police say one man was killed and another man was wounded in a shooting early Saturday in the parking lot of a Delaware shopping center. Record enrollment has helped the University of Tennessee to make up for much of the revenue lost due to the coronavirus crisis. Schmidt predicts similar hazy air conditions through Friday, but some improvement by the weekend. Several communities across southwest Montana are beginning to see smoke move in from wildfires in northern California. Learn more >>, Wildfire Smoke to Linger; Storms Could Spark More Fires. The smoke from the Four Corner states is being pushed into California. The smoke transport is illustrated in the lower image, which shows satellite observations of the density of aerosols (tiny particles) in the atmosphere on September 25. Smoke visible in the satellite analysis: Source: NOAA Still many active fires in Montana and to the west: Source: DNRC Smoke can be seen on today’s satellite image: Source: NASA . It is being caused by winds blowing wildfire smoke in our area. After a wildfire, forest managers know that a forest can and will bounce back on its own. Pollution travels. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. Air pollution is less common in southern China, but Guangdong province can still get pretty hazy. All rights reserved. Jim Szykman studies air quality using satellites in space. Missoula City-County Air Quality Specialist Ben Schmidt says the smoke started infiltrating Montana’s airshed Wednesday evening. Answer: When he or she works for the federal government. Smoke from fires in southwestern Oregon drifted over much of Oregon in this true color image from late September 2009. Human Presence, Goddard Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive and Distribution System (LAADS). For the past three years, UM post-doc Kimberly Davis has looked at how ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests regenerate after fire, and she’s made an eye-opening discovery. BOZEMAN – Widespread wildfire smoke blankets southern Montana Thursday. Schmidt says it’s a good idea to purchase an air purifier for seasonal smoke events like this. If you're wondering where all of the smoke in the air is coming from, the answer is probably not one specific fire. The associated aerosol image reveals that the smoke reached as far east as eastern Montana and central Canada, illustrating that pollution travels long distances. (AP) — Wildfire smoke from California is expected to keep pouring into Montana through Wednesday as much of the state remains under a public health alert due to bad air. Real time particulate information is currently available in most of the larger urban areas from MTDEQ's Today's Air website. Satellite images show wildfire smoke from fires in Alberta moving down through northern Montana, moving west across the Hi-Line toward the Flathead. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Most of the wildfire smoke is coming form large out of control wildfires in central and northern California.