Air Quality Alert Issued For A Number Of Montana Counties

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality alert today for a large swath of western and south central Montana as smoke from local and regional fires continues to blanket the state. The alert is in effect until further notice for Big Horn, Carbon, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Rosebud, Sanders, and Yellowstone counties. The alert means that particulate concentrations in the air are trending upwards. As of Monday morning, air quality in Libby and Thompson Falls was unhealthy and in Billings, Birney Broadus and Seely Lake it was unhealthy for sensitive groups.