Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Boise, ID Videos

Today’s air quality is forecast to be in the Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, though AQI levels could briefly reach the Unhealthy category in the Treasure Valley. The smoke and haze across the Treasure Valley and the Central Mountains are slowly flowing northeast ahead of the cold front. Limited dispersion of near surface smoke is expected this afternoon. A brief clearing of smoke and haze is expected for most of the state, which will continue into tomorrow morning before more smoke from eastern Oregon fires moves into the Central Mountains and Treasure Valley. Light smoke and haze from the Washington fires will also drift into North Idaho tomorrow. Light smoke and haze will begin to move into the Magic Valley and eastern Idaho later tomorrow from fires in northern California. The HRRR-NCEP Near Surface Smoke initialized at 6 a.m. MDT on July 24, 2024, shows areas of smoke and haze over portions of the Treasure Valley, the Central Mountains, and North Idaho. Light smoke and haze are seen over the rest of Idaho.

Smoke across the Treasure Valley and the Central Mountains is slowly flowing east ahead of the cold front. Limited dispersion of near surface smoke is expected this afternoon. Patchy smoke and haze will move into East Idaho from Montana this evening and linger through tomorrow morning before dissipating in the afternoon. In general, lingering smoke and haze can become trapped under surface inversions overnight, potentially raising AQI levels until inversions break later the next morning. The highest AQI levels will be seen around the Treasure Valley from the East Oregon fires with brief periods of UNHEALTHY. The RAP-NCEP Near Surface Smoke initialized at 8am MDT July 23, 2024 shows patchy smoke and haze across portions of the Treasure Valley, East Idaho, and the Central Mountains extending into the St. Joe National Forest in North Idaho. The fires in Eastern Oregon are the major producer of the smoke over Idaho.

Patchy smoke and haze is lingering across North Idaho and the Central Mountains with slow movement to the east. Limited dispersion of near surface smoke is expected this afternoon when inversions break. Later this afternoon, winds will shift from a westerly direction and push the patchy smoke from Washington and Oregon into the state where it will linger in the Central Mountains, Treasure Valley, and North Idaho. Overnight, lingering smoke and haze can become trapped under surface inversions potentially raising AQI levels until inversions break tomorrow morning. The highest AQI levels will be seen around the Bench Lake Fire and parts of the western Treasure Valley, due to smoke from the Durkee Fire in Oregon, with brief periods of UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS possible in other areas. The RAP-NCEP Near Surface Smoke initialized at 7am MDT July 22, 2024 shows patchy smoke and haze over portions of the Central Mountains and North Idaho. Light smoke and haze are seen over the rest of Idaho.

Patchy smoke and haze across southern Idaho and the Central Mountains is slowly flowing northwest into North Idaho and northeastern Oregon. Limited dispersion of near surface smoke is expected this afternoon. Later this evening, the winds will nudge the smoke and haze southward where it will linger in the Central Mountains, Treasure Valley, Magic Valley, and the southern portions of North Idaho. The Bench Lake Fire south of Stanley is adding to this smoke and haze across portions of southern Idaho. Highest AQI levels will be seen around the Texas Fire northeast of Kendrick and the Bench Lake Fire. The RAP-NCEP Near Surface Smoke initialized 8am MDT July 18, 2024, shows patchy smoke and haze over portions of the Central Mountains and North Idaho and light smoke and haze over southern Idaho.

Today’s air quality is forecast to be Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Local fires in the southern portion of North Idaho and smoke from the Oregon fires spiked local Air Quality Index (AQI) levels to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in parts of northern Idaho. Patchy smoke and haze across southern Idaho and the Central Mountains is slowly flowing northwest towards the Treasure Valley. Limited dispersion of near surface smoke from the Bench Lake Fire south of Stanley is expected this afternoon, increasing smoke and haze in portions of southern Idaho. Overnight, lingering smoke and haze trapped under surface inversions may raise AQI levels until the inversions break later in the morning. North Idaho and the Treasure Valley can expect light haze tomorrow from the Washington and Oregon fires. Highest AQI levels will occur around the Texas Fire, northeast of the Bench Lake Fire near Kendrick. The RAP-NCEP Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 8 a.m. MDT, July 17, 2024, shows patchy smoke and haze over portions of the Central Mountains and southern and eastern Idaho. Light smoke and haze are seen over North Idaho.

Hi Idaho! You may have noticed some hazy skies over the past few days. Smoke is drifting in from nearby states, and we are also dealing with a lot of ozone production in the Treasure Valley thanks to this heat wave (ozone can create hazy skies and reduce air quality). Air quality forecasts are still hovering in the Good to Moderate range for most of the state. Minimal clearing each afternoon is expected with some smoke and haze getting trapped each night due to inversions. The model below shows light smoke and haze over most of the state. Patchy smoke and haze will continue to drift into East Idaho and eventually into Montana and Utah in the early morning. As temperatures decrease at night, inversions will begin to trap lingering smoke and haze, raising the AQI levels. Patchy smoke and haze from the Washington and Oregon fires will flow towards North Idaho and the Treasure Valley, bringing light haze. Source: HRRR-NCEP Smoke Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 6am MDT 15 July 2024.

🔥 It's #WoosdstoveWednesday, and we want you to stay warm and safe! Burn only well-seasoned, dry, dark wood that sounds hollow when hit against another piece of wood. These are signs that your wood is properly seasoned, which will produce more heat, reduce the risk of chimney fires, and prolong the life of your wood-burning appliance.

Keep warm and breathe easy by following a few simple guidelines: 🎄 Season firewood for six months 🎄 Operate your wood-burning appliance properly 🎄 Inspect and clean your chimney annually 🎄 Upgrade to an EPA-certified wood-burning appliance Check out our video for more tips at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHFxWUe0KAM. #WoodstoveWednesday wishes you a safe and warm holiday. ☃️

Winter has arrived in #Idaho, and it's time to prepare for the cold weather. Our annual #WoodstoveWednesday is just around the corner, and we're excited to share some tips to help keep your family warm and safe, and help save you money. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about the best burning practices that will keep your home cozy and comfortable. Get started today at https://www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/smoke-and-burning/woodstove-best-burning-practices/.

Prescribed fires increase during the wetter months. Stay informed about burning near you and check air quality regularly to protect your health! Be in the know with the links below. 👇 Airnow Fire and Smoke Map: https://ow.ly/A2CM50PZfs7 Real-time Air Quality Monitoring map: https://ow.ly/1KJ850PZfs5 Southwest Idaho Interagency Fuels Treatments: https://ow.ly/sB3F50PZfs2 North Idaho Rx Fire: https://ow.ly/rRgm50PZfs9 Montana Idaho Airshed Group: https://ow.ly/a6wJ50PZfs3 #prescribedfire #airquality #AQI #Idaho

🤔 #DYK good smoke management includes coordinating burning to avoid overwhelming an area with too much smoke? The Montana Idaho Airshed Group coordinates burning among federal and state land managers and industrial timber companies across #Idaho. You can learn more about the Montana Idaho Airshed Group at https://mi.airshedgroup.org/. #prescribedfire #Idaho #idahome #protectyouridahome

To reduce smoke impacts, choose alternatives to burning, like community chipping programs or burning less material. Learn more helpful tips by watching our video post and reading the Idaho State Department of Agriculture's Useful Tips for Treating Forest, Woodland, and Shrubland Vegetation at https://ucanr.edu/sites/WoodyBiomass/files/297814.pdf. Idaho Department of Lands Idaho Prescribed Fire Council #Idaho #HealthyForests #idahome #prescribedfire #smoke

#DYK that fire can be good for people and the land? Using prescribed fire at the right time keeps Idaho’s forests and rangelands healthy. 🔥 Learn more about the benefits of prescribed fires at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/prescribed-fire. #prescribedfire #HealthyForests #Idaho #idahome Idaho Department of Lands Idaho Prescribed Fire Council

September 11, 2023: Today's #AQI is forecast to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. Recent precipitation and wind direction are limiting smoke impacts from Oregon and Northern California fires. The light haze over parts of North Idaho will begin to disperse this afternoon and clear by this evening. Video: The RAP-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 7:00 a.m. MDT on September 11, 2023.

September 8, 2023: Today's #AQI is forecast to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. Recent precipitation has dampened smoke production across most of the Pacific Northwest fires. There is light smoke and haze impacting parts of North Idaho that will disperse this afternoon and clear this evening. Video: The RAP-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke initialized at 7:00 a.m. MDT on September 8, 2023.

⚠️ September 7, 2023: Today's #AQI is forecast to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. Recent precipitation has dampened smoke production across most of the Pacific Northwest fires. Light smoke and haze impacting parts of North Idaho will disperse this afternoon and clear this evening. ☀️ Video: The RAP-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke initialized at 3:00 a.m. MDT on September 7, 2023.

⚠️ September 6, 2023: Today's #AQI is forecast to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. Recent precipitation has dampened smoke production across most of the Pacific Northwest fires. Light smoke and haze impacting parts of North Idaho will disperse this afternoon and clear this evening. 🤗 Video: The RAP-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 3:00 a.m. MDT on September 6, 2023.

⚠️ September 5, 2023: Today’s #AQI is expected to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. Recent precipitation has dampened smoke production across most of the fires in the Pacific Northwest. 🌫 Light smoke and haze are impacting parts of the Lower and Middle Snake River Plain, which will begin to disperse this afternoon and clear by this evening. ☀️ Video: The HRRR-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 12Z 6:00 a.m. MDT on September 5, 2023.

⚠️ September 1, 2023: Today's #AQI is forecast to be in the GOOD to MODERATE categories across #Idaho. 🌫 Smoke and haze over the weekend will be light, with periods of clearing during the day. Light smoke and haze are impacting the Central Mountains, parts of the Treasure Valley, and eastern Idaho. This afternoon, winds will provide clearing in eastern Idaho, and smoke and haze will drift into parts of North Idaho. The Treasure Valley and Central Mountains will see some relief tomorrow morning, and smoke and haze will linger over North Idaho. On Sunday, there will be limited dispersion of the smoke and haze in North Idaho. Video: The HRRR-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 6:00 a.m. MDT on September 1, 2023.