Red Flag Warning

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
343 AM MDT SAT AUG 15 2015

MTZ112>118-152200-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0007.000000T0000Z-150816T0300Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL/EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY-
HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT-
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
LINCOLN RANGER DISTRICT OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL
FOREST-
343 AM MDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
112...113...114... 115...116...117 AND 118...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 112. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 113.
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 114. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 115. FIRE WEATHER
  ZONE 116. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 117. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 118.

* WIND...WEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH...WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...HUMIDITIES FALLING TO NEAR 20 PERCENT THIS
  AFTERNOON.

* THUNDERSTORMS...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING.

* IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING FIRES OR FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL
  LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY AND BE DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE LIKELY. A COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE HIGH FIRE GROWTH
POTENTIAL.

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING EXTENSION.

&&

$$

---

Air Quality Alert

MTZ008-014-015-052-162115-
BEAVERHEAD-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-JEFFERSON-
304 PM MDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON...

THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR
QUALITY ALERT FOR BEAVERHEAD...MADISON...JEFFERSON...AND LEWIS AND
CLARK COUNTIES IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

AN AIR QUALITY ALERT MEANS THAT PARTICULATES HAVE BEEN TRENDING
UPWARDS AND THAT AN EXCEEDENCE OF THE 24 HOUR NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR
QUALITY STANDARD (NAAQS) HAS OCCURRED OR MAY OCCUR IN THE NEAR
FUTURE.

PARTICULATE LEVELS IN HELENA ARE CURRENTLY REPORTED AS GOOD
HOWEVER A THICK HAZE IS PRESENT OVER THE VALLEY AND CONCENTRATIONS
ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE UNHEALTHY ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOW.

AN AIR QUALITY ALERT MEANS THAT PARTICULATES HAVE BEEN TRENDING
UPWARDS AND THAT AN EXCEEDENCE OF THE 24 HOUR NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR
QUALITY STANDARD (NAAQS) HAS OCCURRED OR MAY OCCUR IN THE NEAR
FUTURE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT WWW.TODAYSAIR.MT.GOV.

$$

Do not adjust your set, this is a completely unedited photo taken today in Helena.

However, flipping over to an in camera filter punches it up a little.

Back to normal, and you can see just how smoky it is.

Followed him up to Louisville, adding smoke to the smoke.

Hey, can we go to IFR?

When I woke up this morning, the smell of smoke was so pungent, that I took a look out  of my back window to make sure Mt. Helena wasn't on fire.