Montana issues air quality warning due to wildfire smoke
(CNN) Smoke from the Western wildfires has prompted officials in Montana to issue air quality warnings in a dozen counties.
"Air quality across the state ranges from MODERATE to UNHEALTHY, with the worst air quality concentrations occurring in the southern half of the state, south of the I-90 corridor. Air quality has worsened this morning, and will likely continue to worsen through Tuesday," Montana Department of Environmental Quality announced in a news release.
The department issued an air quality alert for Beaverhead, Carbon, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Missoula, Park, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli and Sweet Grass counties. The state has 56 counties.
The heat is also an issue for residents. About 1.1 million people are under excessive heat warnings in parts of Montana -- and Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming -- but most warnings will end by Tuesday.
Firefighter found uninjured
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A firefighter who was reported missing near Montana's border with Idaho has been found safe, authorities said. The firefighter was working the Granite Pass Complex when he went missing on Sunday, a news release from the official information site for the fire said. "The individual has been found, uninjured and safe. Thank you to all those who assisted and to our dedicated Search and Rescue Volunteers. We are thankful for the positive outcome!!" the Missoula County Sheriff's Office said in a message on Facebook. The Granite Pass Complex is among several fire burning in the US, mostly in the West. At least 85 active large wildfires have charred 1.5 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center . This year, 36,467 fires have burned a total of 2,770,454 acres across the United States, the NIFC said. An ongoing drought coupled with high temperatures continues to fuel flames in much of the West, threatening homes, prompting evacuations and destroying structures. Photos: Wildfires raging in the West This aerial photo, taken on Thursday, August 19, shows burned homes at the Creekside Mobile Home Park a day after they were destroyed by the Cache Fire in Clearlake, California. Hide Caption 1 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters dig a containment line on the Caldor Fire near Pollock Pines, California, on Wednesday, August 18. Hide Caption 2 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Smoke and haze from wildfires obscure the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline on August 18. Hide Caption 3 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West In this long-exposure photo, embers light up hillsides as the Dixie Fire burns near Milford, California, on Tuesday, August 17. Hide Caption 4 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Destiney Barnard holds Raymond William Goetchius while stranded at a gas station in Doyle, California, on August 17. Barnard's car broke down as she was helping Raymond and his family flee the Dixie Fire. Hide Caption 5 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Destroyed property is seen August 17 after the Caldor Fire passed through Grizzly Flats, California. Hide Caption 6 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters spray water on trees being burned by the Dixie Fire near Janesville, California, on August 17. Hide Caption 7 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighting helicopter flies in front of the sun, which was shrouded in thick wildfire smoke near Lakeview, Oregon, on Sunday, August 15. Hide Caption 8 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Wind blows smoke away for a moment, revealing damage from the Parleys Canyon Fire in Utah on Saturday, August 14. Hide Caption 9 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Crews battle a fire in Newhall, California, on August 12. Hide Caption 10 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A table and chairs sit in front of a destroyed home in Greenville, California, on August 12. Hide Caption 11 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter battles the Dixie Fire near Taylorsville, California, on August 10. Hide Caption 12 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Smoke plumes rise from the Kwis Fire near Eugene, Oregon, on August 10. Hide Caption 13 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter works to extinguish a controlled burn, a preventative measure, to protect a home in Greenville, California, on August 9. Hide Caption 14 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire clear a fallen tree from a roadway in Plumas County, California, on August 6. Hide Caption 15 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a pickup truck on Highway 89, south of Greenville, California, on August 5. Hide Caption 16 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Operations Chief Jay Walter passes the historic Sierra Lodge as the Dixie Fire burns through Greenville, California, on August 4. The fire leveled multiple historic buildings and dozens of homes in central Greenville. Hide Caption 17 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters work at a Greenville home that was engulfed by the Dixie Fire on August 4. Hide Caption 18 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West The Dixie Fire burns near Taylorsville, California, on July 29. Hide Caption 19 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tour an area destroyed by the Tamarack Fire in Gardnerville, Nevada, on July 28. Hide Caption 20 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighter Brentt Call walks through a burned-over area of the Bootleg Fire near Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 27. Hide Caption 21 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Cal Fire Capts. Tristan Gale, left, and Derek Leong monitor a firing operation in California's Lassen National Forest on July 26. Crews had set a ground fire to stop the Dixie Fire from spreading. Hide Caption 22 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters try to reach a fire site in Quincy, California, on July 25. Hide Caption 23 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Volunteers sort clothing at a donation shelter for those affected by the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 24 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Scott Griffin surveys his property, which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire in Sycan Estates, Oregon. Hide Caption 25 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Flames consume a home as the Dixie Fire tears through the Indian Falls community of Plumas County, California, on July 24. Hide Caption 26 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West People stand behind the fire line as flames from the Steptoe Canyon Fire spread through dry grass in Colton, Washington, on July 22. Hide Caption 27 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Plumes of smoke from the Dixie Fire rise above California's Plumas National Forest, near the Pacific Gas and Electric Rock Creek Power House, on July 21. Hide Caption 28 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters walk near a wildfire in Topanga, California, on July 19. Hide Caption 29 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter does mop-up work in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, which has been struggling with the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. Hide Caption 30 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A car is charred by the Bootleg Fire along a mountain road near Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 31 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Nicolas Bey, 11, hugs his father, Sayyid, near a donated trailer they are using after their home was burned in the Bootleg Fire near Beatty, Oregon. Hide Caption 32 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters extinguish hot spots in an area affected by the Bootleg Fire near Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 33 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A bear cub clings to a tree after being spotted by a safety officer at the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. Hide Caption 34 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters work to protect Markleeville, California, from the Tamarack Fire on July 17. The Tamarack Fire was started by a lightning strike. Hide Caption 35 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West The Tamarack Fire burns in Markleeville, near the California-Nevada border, on July 17. Hide Caption 36 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A member of the Northwest Incident Management Team 12 holds a map of the Chuweah Creek Fire as wildfires devastated Nespelem, Washington, on July 16. Hide Caption 37 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A cloud from the Bootleg Fire drifts into the air near Bly, Oregon, on July 16. Hide Caption 38 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters spray water from the Union Pacific Railroad's fire train while battling the Dixie Fire in California's Plumas National Forest on July 16. Hide Caption 39 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Horses climb a hillside that was burned by the Chuweah Creek Fire in eastern Washington. Hide Caption 40 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Fire from the Bootleg Fire illuminates smoke near Bly, Oregon, on the night of July 16. Hide Caption 41 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter battles the Bootleg Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, along the Oregon and California border, on July 15. Hide Caption 42 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighting aircraft drops flame retardant on the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon, on July 15. Hide Caption 43 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters dig away at hot spots underneath stumps and brush after flames from the Snake River Complex Fire swept through the area south of Lewiston, Idaho, on July 15. Hide Caption 44 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Burned cars sit outside a home that was destroyed by the Chuweah Creek Fire in Nespelem, Washington. Hide Caption 45 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Evacuee Dee McCarley hugs her cat Bunny at a Red Cross center in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 14. Hide Caption 46 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West An airplane drops fire retardant on the Chuweah Creek Fire in Washington on July 14. Hide Caption 47 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Operations Section Chief Bert Thayer examines a map of the Bootleg Fire in Chiloquin, Oregon, on July 13. Hide Caption 48 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Fire consumes a home as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, tears through Doyle, California, on July 10. It's the second time in less than a year that the small town has been ravaged by a wildfire. Hide Caption 49 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Men hug a member of the Red Cross at a Bootleg Fire evacuation center in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Hide Caption 50 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Embers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire burns in Doyle, California, on July 9. Hide Caption 51 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters monitor the Sugar Fire in Doyle, California, on July 9. Hide Caption 52 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West In this long-exposure photograph, taken early on July 2, flames surround a drought-stricken Shasta Lake during the Salt Fire in Lakehead, California. Hide Caption 53 of 53 /* global CNN */'use strict';jQuery(document).ready(function () {var galleryAdSlide = new CNN.AdSlide('el__gallery', false, CNN.contentModel.singletonFile);}); More than 22,000 deployed to battle fires More than 22,400 firefighters and other personnel have been deployed to battle the flames throughout the US, the NIFC said. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning from Martin Creek on Highway 12 to the Idaho border as wildfires continue to burn in the area. Fire whirls, 'pyro' clouds, and hazy skies: Extreme fire behavior is a preview of what's to come "Residents and visitors in the area should stay vigilant of the current situation and be ready to immediately leave the area if an evacuation ORDER is issued. If you are traveling along Highway 12 please do not stop," the sheriff's office said last week. The dangerous fire conditions have already injured five federal firefighters who were working in Montana last week. The firefighters were injured in the Devils Creek Fire when "a sudden wind shift blew the wildfire back over their position as they were constructing a defensive fire line on the perimeter," a news release issued by the Bureau of Land Management said Friday. "Numerous wind shifts and rapid rates of spread resulted in erratic fire behavior as thunderstorms and associated cells were passing over the area when the incident occurred," the release said. The bureau said the firefighters were evacuated and medically evaluated to "determine the extent of their injuries" following the incident on July 22 in Garfield County. An update on their conditions was not available. Three more wildfires -- the Trail Creek Fire, the Alder Fire and the Christensen Fire -- are burning in Montana near the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest , according the Forest Service Facebook page. Beaverhead-Deerlodge is the largest of the national forests in Montana, covering 3.35 million acres within eight southwest Montana counties. A hotshot crew has been deployed to the Trail Creek Fire to help prevent the fire from growing toward the east. The fire has grown to 31,124 acres since starting on July 8, the Inciweb incident map shows. The fire worked its way up to the Continental Divide, with approximately 15 acres burning on the Idaho side. Fire activity picked up at the Alder Fire on Sunday because of high winds and low humidity, growing to 8,347 acres with 10% containment, according to Inciweb . The Christensen Fire continued to push east and has burned 4,070 acres, according to Inciweb. Baby bear burned A 6-month-old black bear cub with burned paws is recovering after being found by homeowners returning to their property in Markleeville, California. The homeowners, the only residents allowed to return to their area, spotted the injured animal and called Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, which sent a team to catch the 21-pound male cub. A wildlife rescue group is caring for the bear rescued in a small California community. {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","name": "A wildlife rescue group is caring for the bear rescued in a small California community.","description": "A wildlife rescue group is caring for the bear rescued in a small California community.","url": "//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210726213310-01-black-bear-cub-fire-rescue-large-169.jpg"} "Fortunately, the team was able to locate the bear cub in total darkness," officials with the wildlife care team said in a news release. "However, even with his injuries the cub still tried to flee." The baby bear had severe burns to his four paws and was treated with pain medications and fluids. His paws were treated with Manuka honey, according to the release. The bear was named "Tamarack" for the wildfire from which he was rescued. Severe fire conditions fueling Bootleg Fire As of Monday, more than 541,000 acres have burned in Oregon due to seven large wildfires, with the Bootleg Fire -- the state's current largest wildfire -- accounting for 409,611 acres charred since it sparked July 6. The flames are 53% contained, according to Inciweb . Scott Griffin surveys his property which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire, in Sycan Estates, Oregon, U.S on July 24. {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","name": "Scott Griffin surveys his property which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire, in Sycan Estates, Oregon, U.S on July 24.","description": "Scott Griffin surveys his property which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire, in Sycan Estates, Oregon, U.S on July 24.","url": "//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210725183534-02-western-wildfires-0724-bootleg-fires-oregon-large-169.jpg"} The more than 2,000 firefighters battling the Bootleg Fire have seen success in the batle against the blaze, according to public information officer Al Nash. "We're making good progress and feeling good about what we've accomplished, recognizing there's still a significant amount of open fire line," Nash told CNN. "We have potential for thunderstorms and the biggest issue is the gusty outflow winds from thunderstorms, which can increase the fire activity." Gov. Kate Brown told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday she is worried high temperatures will continue to contribute to the spread of the Bootleg Fire. They dodged flames pushed by 30 mph winds. Crews fighting the huge Bootleg Fire still are trying to tame it "It's incredibly important with climate change, that we get into these forests and start doing the fitting and harvest and prescriptive burning, so that we can create healthier landscapes that are more resilient, for wildfire," Brown said. She signed legislation last week that would arm the state with tools and resources to make communities "more adaptive" to wildfires. The legislation includes resources for adequate firefighting tools and prescriptive and mitigation efforts. Dixie Fire exhibiting extreme fire behavior In Northern California, there are more than 5,400 firefighting personnel battling the Dixie Fire , which has burned 197,487 acres and is 22% contained, according to Cal Fire . It is now the 15th largest wildfire in state history. The smaller Fly Fire has merged with the Dixie Fire in the larger blaze's east zone. "Engines are deployed in Taylorsville prepping for structure protection in the event the fire reaches the area as it continues moving northeast," Cal Fire officials said. California's largest wildfire is threatening thousands of structures Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns said Sunday that the Indian Falls area has undergone significant loss. In the small community, 18 of 25 homes are thought to have been lost, he said.
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