Smoke, Health Risks Persist In Region

Smoke from massive Canadian fires continues to affect air quality locally, according to Tanja Fransen of ​​National Weather Service Glasgow.

Despite varying weather patterns, fire​s in Alberta, British Columbia, NW Territories, Saskatchewan and elsewhere continue to produce smoke that is entering the local weather system.​ The region has had over 5 million acres burn so far this year.

"When the ​mid- and upper- level winds are right," reports Fransen, "it​ gets moved across Northeast Montana."

Among other contributing factors, 1.7 million acres have burned recently in Alaska alone, further worsening potential adverse health effects for residents of the region.

The risk to the population here has been intermittently serious, with "Hazardous" levels detected by area sensors and Dense Smoke Advisories​ issued by authorities. Limited visibility is ​the best way to gauge potential breathing issues, one of the chief concerns.

There is currently no threat of fire spreading to the area from the blazes raging in the north. While the sources of air pollution that are active show no signs of slowing significantly in the immediate future, there is a good chance that Valley County will see breaks in the smoke and haze in coming days and weeks.

"There is a low-pressure system coming into the Northern Rockies Region which could help​ bring moisture to the burn areas and keep the smoke away from our region this weekend​," Fransen explains.

Varying levels of air pollution can be tricky, however, potentially lulling those susceptible to respiratory conditions and other ailments into a false sense of security regarding the level of particulates circulating in the air.

Residents are cautioned to stay indoors as much as possible when smoke is present. If possible, run air conditioning with windows closed and ​use an N95 mask when venturing outside. Keep in mind that simple cloth masks or other inexpensive items typically used for painting may not suffice as barriers to the smoke.

At press time, NWS​ ​ G​lasgow​ reports that ​thanks to an active weather pattern, the smoke issues are improving over the region.

Over the next week, smoke will most likely be visible in the late evening and early morning hours when weather patterns are more stable and winds are on the light side.