The Massive Wildfire Causing Endless Smoke in Montana (PHOTOS)

BUTTE, MT - Over the past few weeks, the air quality in most parts of Montana—especially in the west—has been abysmal to say the least.

Get our free mobile app

An unfortunate reality of living in Montana is being no stranger to wildfires. Virtually every year, the Treasure state experiences a seemingly endless slew of wildfires across the entire state, causing millions upon millions of dollars in property damages and fire suppression efforts. The resulting smoke, usually floating across hundreds of miles, leads to many feeling sick and needing extra medical care.

So it's probably no surprise to anyone that not one, but two massive fires have been raging on since late July and are causing a relentless onslaught of smoke, penetrating our summer skies. And, believe it or not, the twin fires that have been dumping harmful bouts of smoke across Montana are located not in Montana itself, but in Idaho.

Fire Information

The two fires, dubbed the Nellie Fire and the Wapiti Fire, respectively, are around 100 miles from the city of Boise, ID. Here's the updated information on the fires.

The Wapiti Fire in Idaho has grown to nearly 108,000 acres and remains at 0% containment. This fire, which was sparked by lightning, is affecting areas within the Boise, Sawtooth, and Salmon-Challis National Forests.

Meanwhile, the Nellie Fire has been contained up to 14% and has burned over 56,000 acres. Evacuation orders are in place for several areas, including properties west of Hailey and around Stanley.

The Smoke

The smoke from these two fires is what is causing the smokey weather here in Montana as local firefighters on scene continue their attempts to dampen and extinguish the devastation.

Take a look at the photo below:

So, until these fires are put out, we may be dealing with smokey weather for the indefinite future. If you'd like to help the volunteer firefighting efforts in Idaho, you can donate to their GoFundMe, found here. Otherwise, the best thing you can do to protect firefighters is to protect yourself. Learn how at firewise.org.