Wildfires

Typically, Montana's wildfire season would officially end on September 30, but a new proclamation from Montana DNRC Director Mary Sexton and Forestry Division Administrator Bob Harrington will extend Montana’s fire season indefinitely.

As anyone who has spent any time outside on Monday, it's immediately apparent that wildfire smoke is especially bad in the Missoula valley.

Big Sky High School-CM Russell sophomore and varsity football games cancelled due to smoke.

The Missoula City County Health Department's website says when visibility gets down to 1.3 miles because of wildfire smoke, the air quality rating moves to 'hazardous'. At 5 a.m., The National Weather Service rated visibility at 3 miles.

Due to the current poor air quality conditions in the Missoula valley, the following athletic games have been cancelled

The Sawtooth Fire is responsible for the heavy pall of smoke hanging over the Missoula valley.

Tom Heintz, the Incident Commander of the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team on the Sawtooth Fire fire has conferred with Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman concerning the re-entry into areas near this fire by the residents of the homes impacted by the area Stage 2 evacuation order.

Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman says the reverse 9-1-1 system employed by fire and sheriff's authorities sent out an incorrect message to hundreds of homes and cell phones regarding certain areas in which residents could return to their homes.

Sawtooth Fire officials and members of the Ravalli County Sheriff's Department and the Red Cross will be at the Hamilton High School Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. for a public meeting.

Evacuations went smoothly in Ravalli County on Monday.