Wildfire Smoke Ready Week Events - June 8-13

Missoula County alongside the whole state of Montana has declared this week, June 8 to 13, as Wildfire Smoke Ready Week! Wildfire Smoke Ready Week is a week to not only educate about the health impacts of wildfire smoke, but also to remind you to prepare now for wildfire smoke later this summer. Kerri Mueller, air quality specialist at MPH, co-wrote an op-ed in the Missoula Current called Are You Prepared for Wildfire Smoke?

2026 Wildfire and Smoke Outlook Panel

The public is invited to a free community forum, simulcast live from Kalispell and Missoula on Tuesday, June 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Missoula Public Library, to hear from experts about to expect for the upcoming wildfire season in western Montana.

Following an abnormally warm winter and below average snowpack, many in the region are asking what this summer may bring. While last year offered some relief from the pattern of increasing wildfire and regional smoke impacts, the question remains: Will we see another mild season or a return to more severe conditions? The forum will feature panelists who will sort through up-to-date weather and climate projections and share tips for how best to prepare for wildfires and accompanying smoke.

Panelists include:

• Alex Lukinbeal – Meteorologist, National Weather Service (Missoula)
• Kyle Bocinsky – Montana Climate Office at the University of Montana
• Mike West – U.S. Forest Service and FireSafe Flathead
• Amy Cilimburg – Climate Smart Missoula
• Moderated  Adam de Yong, Climate Smart Glacier

The 2026 Wildfire and Smoke forum topics will address fire prediction forecasts, seasonal weather outlooks, drought and fuel conditions, long-term climate trends, wildfire preparedness in the wildland-urban interface, and practical strategies for reducing smoke exposure and improving indoor air quality. Panelists will also discuss potential impacts this summer of a warming Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America as well as in the tropical Pacific, which impacts global weather through the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle.

The forum will also be available via Zoom for those wishing to attend remotely. Register for the Zoom event at this link: http://bit.ly/MTwildfireoutlook.

Additional resources

Learn more about being Wildfire Smoke Ready at MontanaWildfireSmoke.org or stop by the Missoula Public Library on Tuesday, June 9 from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Thursday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can also look for us at either of the Saturday Farmer's markets to chat with us about how you can prepare and stay healthy.