The risk of wildfires and accompanying wildfire smoke is increasing, and a longer fire + smoke season is projected for the West. Missoula is particularly at risk due to our valley location. Learn about the health risks from smoke, as well as ways to stay healthy, by clicking on the buttons above or by scrolling down.

​We do so much work in this area, we have a separate site for all the resources we've gathered and developed. Bookmark and share our companion website:
​Stay informed with the most updated information on today's (and tomorrow's) air quality: ​

Once you know the air quality, explore ways to stay healthy below: 

Where we've been: our work on wildfire smoke

Clean Air - Healthy Homes was a project funded by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice award designed to support understanding how our community responds to the impacts of wildfire smoke. Guided by lived experiences, Climate Smart Missoula, All Nations Health Center, and other partners are working to create empowering solutions to keep folks healthy at home during wildfire season. Learn more:
Climate Smart Missoula and the Missoula Health Department are working to understand the indoor air quality needs of students in Missoula County, educate the public about clean air for children, and provide HEPA portable air cleaners to schools and daycare centers in need.

Learn more:

2017: A big year for smoke and community outreach

Thanks to financial support from Providence St. Patrick Hospital and Community Medical Center, and in concert with Missoula Aging Services and the Missoula City-County Health Department (and because of our proactive planning), in 2017 we initiated a program to distribute HEPA air filters free to the most vulnerable in our community.  We provided these free of charge to home-bound seniors with respiratory challenges, families with new babies and no means to purchase, vulnerable folks of all walks living in Seeley Lake, and for a few elementary schools.  We were able to provide filters for Lolo, Woodman and Swan elementary schools thanks to United Way of Missoula County, NorthWestern Energy, and individual community members who heard about our efforts and donated generously. What a collaboration! The progress we made in 2017 couldn't have happened without Terri, our amazing University of Montana EVST graduate fellow who spent months researching and getting this effort up and running. Thank You Terri! And a big thanks to Sarah Coefield at the City-County Health Department for her hard work and collaborative efforts in both 2017 and 2018!

In 2018, United Way of Missoula County again generously decided to help us prepare our community by funding a Clean Air Needs Assessment for Missoula County Schools. For a summary of this effort as well as our 2018 clean air for daycares program, go to the Clean Air for Schools and Daycares page of our website.  A great article in the Missoula Current about our 2018 efforts can be found here. We were also able to launch a new website in 2018: MontanaWildfireSmoke.org.
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Intern Terri with volunteers from Lion's Den Ministries - getting ready to deliver filters.
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A happy air purifier recipient!

Studying indoor air quality

Ever wondered how healthy indoor air is when it's smoky outside? We have - that's the question we explored with an indoor air quality study back when we were just getting started with wildfire smoke + health efforts. In collaboration with the University of Montana's School of Public and Community Health Sciences, we monitored PM 2.5 at several locations around town during the summer of 2017 with some follow up in 2018. We started this study as a pilot project to gather baseline data in the summer and fall of 2016, when we didn't get much wildfire smoke in the Missoula Valley. We compared this data with that collected during the much smokier summer of 2017.

What we learned:
Without a good filtration system, when conditions are unhealthy or worse, indoor air is often not much better than being outside. This has informed our efforts to improve indoor air quality in all kinds of spaces, residential and commercial alike, so our community has true refuges from smoke. Spaces with portable HEPA air filters, or heating and cooling systems with good filters and the capability to recirculate indoor air had much healthier air than outside, while spaces without filtration, or those constantly pulling in air from outside did not.

What's a good filter? One with a MERV 13 or higher rating.  Many filters around town are MERV 8 which is a good filter except when the smoke is thick. This is a good time to see if your work place or residence can accommodate a better filter. The higher the filter rating the more energy it will use to move the air through (and the more it may strain motors) so we recommend checking with a heating/cooling specialist to understand your particular system requirements and options. Head HERE for more information about cleaning indoor air.
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Collecting monitoring data at the Missoula Senior Center
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A Dustrak air monitoring unit capturing real-time data

What are the Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke? 

What's so dangerous about wildfire smoke?
​The video below, "Be Smart About Wildfire Smoke", explains who is most at risk and why. 
​Common symptoms of smoke exposure:
​
  • Coughing
  • Trouble breathing
  • Stinging or itchy eyes
  • Scratchy throat
  • Headache
  • Lack of energy
  • Changes in appetite
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Feelings of hopelessness, irritability, or depression
  • ​For more information about the mental health effects of increased wildfire smoke and other climate factors, visit our Climate and Mental Health page.

Who is Most at Risk from Smoke?

When thick smoke rolls in, it can affect everyone: we get grumpy because we can’t spend as much time outside, our throats hurt. While no one wants to understate the effects of smoke on all of us, some people are disproportionately harmed by wildfire smoke. In fact, about 1 in 3 Missoulians belong to a demographic that is particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke. This includes children (especially the really little kiddos), pregnant women, seniors, and folks with asthma, heart, lung, or circulatory system disease - more than you would think! Read on to learn more about the risk, what health effects may be experienced during a smoke episode, and what to do to reduce risk . 
ASTHMATICS
Potential Effects from Smoke:
  • More frequent and more severe asthma attacks
What You Can Do:
  • Create an asthma action plan with your healthcare provider at the beginning of the summer
  • Discuss prevention and treatment options for smoke events that are customized to you
  • Carry an emergency inhaler
  • Reduce the amount of time you’re breathing unhealthy air by Creating Healthy Indoor Air At Home or finding a clean indoor air location
CHILDREN (AGES 0 - 5)
Potential Effects from Smoke:
  • Risk of damage to lungs, which are still developing
  • Kids are more likely to be active when outdoors - running, playing, being kids - meaning they typically inhale more harmful chemicals per pound of body weight
What You Can Do:
OLDER ADULTS
Potential Effects from Smoke: 
  • Increased susceptibility to bacterial or viral infections because of compromised immune system
​What You Can Do: 
  • Consult your healthcare provider and follow their advice if you have any specific medical concerns about prescription drugs that you are taking
  • Have an adequate supply of medication on hand (more than 5 days worth) in case of an emergency​
  • Reduce the amount of time you’re breathing unhealthy air by Creating Healthy Indoor Air At Home or finding a clean indoor air location
PREGNANT WOMEN
Potential Effects from Smoke: 
  • Damage to the developing lungs of the fetus
What You Can Do: ​
THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEART OR LUNG DISEASE
Potential Effects from Smoke: 
  • Shortness of breath
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Chest tightness
  • Pain in chest, neck, shoulder, or arm
  • Heart palpitations
  • Unusual fatigue or light headedness
What You Can Do: 
  • Consult your healthcare provider and follow their advice if you have any specific medical concerns about prescription drugs that you are taking
  • Have an adequate supply of medication on hand (more than 5 days worth) in case of an emergency​
  • Reduce the amount of time you’re breathing unhealthy air by Creating Healthy Indoor Air At Home or finding a clean indoor air location
THOSE WITH CIRCULATORY SYSTEM DISEASE
Potential Effects from Smoke: 
  • Temporary chest pain
  • Heart attacks
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Acute congestive heart failure
  • Stroke
What You Can Do: 
  • Consult your healthcare provider and follow their advice if you have any specific medical concerns about prescription drugs that you are taking
  • Have an adequate supply of medication on hand (more than 5 days) in case of an emergency
  • Reduce the amount of time you’re breathing unhealthy air by Creating Healthy Indoor Air At Home or finding a clean indoor air location
What does that mean for me?
Smoke affects everyone differently, both physically and mentally. Even if you don’t appear to be experiencing symptoms, be extra cautious with how much time you spend outside and how active you are outdoors, especially if you’re a kid with developing lungs or a senior. If you have pre-existing conditions like heart or lung disease, wildfire smoke could have very specific health implications for you. Please speak to your healthcare provider.

Preparing for Wildfire Smoke

For our most updated information on wildfire smoke and its relationship to COVID-19, visit our companion site, montanawildfiresmoke.org
​

How do you prepare for wildfire smoke? 
The video below, "Prepare for Wildfire Smoke" shows how you can stay healthy during smoke events.  

Stay Healthy During Smoke Events

Although we don't have control over smoke entering our valley, there are things we can do to stay healthy and sane when smoke is here.​​
Do face masks help with wildfire smoke pollution? 
Cloth masks do not work for pm 2.5. Well-fitting particulate respirator masks, the ones recommended for Covid, and also known as an N95 mask, can filter out PM 2.5. Keep in mind that particulate respirator masks must fit tightly to work properly, so they actually make breathing more difficult and are not recommended for folks who already have trouble breathing.​

RESOURCES

Downloadable Brochures

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Click to enlarge

Current and Forecasted Air Quality Information

 Not every wildfire smoke event is hazardous to our health. Smoke events range from the mild fog of a controlled burn to the thick, soupy haze of a raging wildfire. Usually, it's somewhere in between. To know what to do, you need to know the air quality.
Montana deq air quality website
Visit todaysair.mt.gov and click on the dot representing Missoula for current and forecasted air quality.
Missoula health department report
Get the latest report from the Missoula Health Dept. - updated most days during the fire season.
know your rules of thumb
Look outside and check visibility: 
  • Cannot see 5 miles? Unhealthy air
  • Cannot see 2 miles? Very Unhealthy air
  • Cannot see 1 mile? Hazardous air​​
Air Quality Specialist Sarah Coefield explains more: 
call the missoula air quality hotline
A recorded message is updated daily during fire season. Call 406 - 258 - 3600 for more information. ​​​​​​

Real-Time Air Quality Forecast Map

​Wondering when the air will improve? Check out this great map from Washington State University forecasting air quality for the next 48 hours. (Click on the image below to open the map - then zoom in to Missoula!)