BILLINGS — Much of Montana might be covered in smoke and haze due to the wildfires in Idaho, but it’s something the state has seen all summer. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfire season in Montana has grown longer, contributing to more days with lower air quality.

For Billings resident Holly Caufield, the hazy air meant a change in plans.

“We were going to go paddleboarding, but it was kind of gross and hazy, so we decided, I don’t know, it was just kind of depressing,” said Caufield at the Billings Rims Monday.

Mother Nature had different plans, which meant Caufield opted to walk her dog Maze on the Rims.

“Just kind of depressing. Gross, muggy, kind of makes us tired. Headaches,” Caufield said.

That’s true for people across much of the state with the smoke affecting communities from Missoula to Miles City.

“In the central part of the state, it’s at the unhealthy level right now… right now we’ve just moved into, we’re approaching unhealthy levels in the Billings area,” said Billings National Weather Service meteorologist John Wetenkamp.

Wetenkamp said longer fire seasons mean hazier skies in Big Sky Country.

“There’s been an uptick in fire activity, so yeah, most likely we’re experiencing more days of poor air quality than we have, historically, just do the uptick in wildfires,” Wetenkamp said.

Alina Hauter/MTN News

According to a study recently conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, fire seasons have grown significantly longer with the length of fire weather season increasing 18.7% from 1979 to 2013.

Some forests in Montana have seen fire season lengthen by 36 days on average each year. In Eastern Montana, including the site of this year’s massive Remington Fire, fire season is 42 days longer compared to 30 years ago.

“A lot of that has to do with changes in precipitation patterns, warmer temperatures, and also just us as a society becoming more vulnerable to wildfire and wildfire impacts as the population increases in some of the more fire-prone areas,” said Wetenkamp.

More fire means more smoke, and in the case of Caufield, more headaches, even though her dogs might not mind.

“They like it, they enjoy it, I don’t think it really bothers them,” Caufield said.

An AIR QUALITY ALERT is in effect for parts of central and western Montana.

Wildfire smoke is having an extreme impact on the air quality across Big Sky Country with a lot of Montana facing unhealthy conditions being outside. This is the worst air quality of this wildfire and summer season. Some places in southwest Montana including the Bitterroot and the Helena Valleys had “very unhealthy” air at times on Monday morning. Hamilton even had “hazardous” air quality. In these conditions, everyone should avoid being outside for long. This is not good weather conditions to hike or run or do things that require physical exertion outside. Recent hot weather allowed wildfires to grow across southwest Montana, Idaho and Oregon. The wind direction is carrying the smoke right across Montana resulting in the poor air. Changes are coming though that will result in better air quality. Tuesday will be cooler with less wind. Highs will be in the 70s to low 80s. The air quality will improve somewhat across northern Montana as the flow switches around to the north. The southern and western parts of the state will continue to have “unhealthy” air at times. A few isolated thunderstorms will pop Tuesday evening. A larger storm will begin moving into the state on Wednesday with mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the 80s east, 70s central and west. Low pressure will move across the state from Wednesday night into Friday. Thursday will be mostly cloudy or overcast with widespread showers, thunderstorms and rain. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s west, 70s east. Rain and mountain snow will fall on most of the state’s wildfires. Rain will also fall on Idaho and Oregon fires as well. This along with cooler temperatures will slow the fire activity and thus the smoke output. These conditions will also be more advantageous for firefighters to be more productive in their efforts. Areas of rain will continue Thursday night into Friday. Some locations in western Montana could see between 1-2″ of rain! Showers will continue on Friday before the storm moves away. Air quality will improve significantly through Thursday into Friday. Friday will be stronger wind as well with highs in the 60s. This weekend will be partly cloudy with cleaner air and highs in the 70s to around 80. Looking farther down the road, several storms are likely through the end of summer and the end of September. There will be multiple opportunities for rain and snow on the wildfires. Conditions will be improving and fire/smoke season will be getting closer to its end thankfully.

Have a nice day,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist

GREAT FALLS — If you decide to be a travel vlogger, you have to do something to set you apart from the hundreds of others. If you’re Paul, that means leaning into your Scottish lineage.

“I thought, well, that would make me a little bit different to the other 10,000 people,” said Paul, the content creator behind Paul Wheel Drive on Youtube.

So for nearly four years, Paul has been wearing a kilt.

“Just gives me a bit of an idea, people who are trying to follow me on YouTube,” Paul said. “…Oh, yeah. He’s the guy with the kilt.”

Paul is a van life vlogger, which is exactly what it sounds like. He films his life living out of a 2003 Volkswagen Winnebago Rialta.

“It is my accommodation, my home, my recluse, the whole thing,” Paul said.

Paul has traveled around the world twice, and four years ago decided to drive around Australia, creating YouTube videos to help people learn tips and tricks when traveling on the road. Every video ends with the same information:

“How much in fuel, how much in accommodation, how long it took me to get there and how far it really was,” Paul said.

After three years touring Australia, Paul got a six-month Visa and decided to help Americans out.

“I really didn’t find much in the way of tourist offices. Not in California anyway,” Paul said, “So I thought, ‘Well, that definitely reminds me why I came here, to make up what I had made in Australia for Americans.’”

If you’ve ever wanted to strike out and do some van living on your own, let the man with the kilt show you how. It’s not always pretty, but that isn’t the point.

“The real joy of travel isn’t being at a place, although, you know, there’s obviously benefits of it,” Paul said. “It’s just the travel itself.”

Even if that means living in a 22-foot, 20-year old RV that Paul finds is plenty big enough.

“I think it’d be fine for two [people], but I’ve never really had two to be traveling with,” Paul said. “But, like, for one it’s just perfect.”

If you want to try this for yourself, Paul says to rent the house and the equipment, and if you are with a partner, prepare for a somewhat rude awakening.

He noted, “Now, they might have been married for 20 years and think they know each other really, really well, but suddenly when you’re in this room, it’s just like, ‘Get out of here, get out.’”

It’s not financially viable. It’s not especially luxurious, but it will give you memories and experiences that last a lifetime and are priceless.

Click here to check out Paul’s channel on Youtube.