wildfires

A Ronan man is in the Lake County Detention Center on $1 million bond after an intensive investigation into three arson-caused fires led to his arrest.

This picture series is posted to demonstrate the complex interaction between natural processes such as wildfire, and human management.

Cooler temps are on the way, but not today. A good chunk of the entire state will have gusty winds and temperatures in the 80s on Wednesday. That makes for dangerous conditions, prompting a Red Flag Warning for most of Montana.

With burning eyes, runny noses, and our AQIs hitting the 170s on several occasions in recent days...Montanans could really go for an old-school, heavy snowstorm right about now. A big one. With many inches of accumulation.

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.

Dangerous conditions exist for Fire Weather again Tuesday, but thankfully much cooler, wet weather is on the way this week. Today, we need to remain vigilant with high temperatures and very low humidity.

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.

A major fire burning in the Crazy Mountains north of Livingston was started by lightning on July 17th and has burned nearly 15,000 acres. Hot, dry weather with a Red Flag Warning does not bode well for this and several other Montana fires.

Please, Mother Nature. No dry thunderstorms this afternoon. Unfortunately, there's a decent possibility of them popping up around southwest Montana today. The dangers of our continued hot weather are prompting a Red Flag Warning until at least Thursday night.

Take your pick. It's all bad. Beaverhead, Big Horn, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Treasure, Toole, Wheatland, and Yellowstone counties.

The Air Quality Index around southwest Montana was bad all weekend. Then it became even worse on Monday into seriously unhealthy levels.

A little rain this week was nice but not enough to significantly reduce our fire weather conditions across the state of Montana. There is a Red Flag Warning in effect until at least Friday night, and will probably be extended as temps are expected to rise over the weekend.