Fire crews continue to work the Skillet Fire on Flathead and Kootenai National Forest land in Northwest Montana.

But National Interagency Fire Center officials say aircraft have been grounded because of heavy smoke.

In the Flathead, the smoke is expected to drift in from local fires, including one in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Other smoke effects will be from fires in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, including the devastating fires in the Spokane area. 

In Libby, Troy, Marion, Eureka and other locales from here to Missoula, the air quality is rated as unhealthy and unsafe for everyone, although there was minimal improvement Monday from the conditions that existed Sunday in south Lincoln County.

Officials say residents should take precautions by reducing outdoor activity and for those having symptoms or suffering effects, to stay inside. State and local health officials recommend that people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should avoid prolonged exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged exertion.

Local smoke information and forecasts can be found at: https://deq.mt.gov/air/Programs/smokeforecasts. 

Other information may be found at https://fire.airnow.gov/.

The fire, which began July 29, has grown to nearly 2,500 acres with no containment. Its cause has yet to be determined. It is located on the Tally Ranger District, about 15 miles west of Olney. Nearly 250 personnel are working on the fire.

Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino issued an Evacuation Order in the Good Creek/Alder Creek area. Current weather conditions and fire behavior present a threat for those areas. For questions regarding the Evacuation Order, call the sheriff’s information line at 406-758-2111. Citizens may sign up for Flathead County Emergency Alerts at: https://flatheadcounty.genasys.com/portal/en/register. 

Also, the both national forests issued an area closure for public and firefighter safety due to fire activity. The area closure includes roads, trailheads, trails, day use areas, and campgrounds. 

The closure order can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/alerts. There is also a Temporary Flight Restriction in place to allow aviation resources to work safely. 

Sunday, crews scouted road systems around the fire looking for opportunities to engage directly when it was safe to do so. If conditions improve, aircraft will support ground resources with water delivery and reconnaissance flights.

Heavy equipment, including dozers and feller-bunchers, are clearing out roads to provide safe access into the fire area and construct containment lines. 

Crews are establishing an anchor point on the west side of the fire and constructing dozer line from the west side of the fire down to Robertson Creek. This line will help to direct the fire away from the values at risk and toward the East Fork Fire burn scar, fire officials said. 

Also, a night operations group began Sunday. They will stay engaged with the fire overnight taking advantage of more favorable weather and protecting values at risk.

Fire officials said Monday the blaze could make upslope runs, especially on south facing slopes and when the wind aligns with the slope.

National Weather Service forecasters said smoke would be patchy in the region Tuesday with clearing the rest of the week. Temperatures will also climb back into the mid and upper 90s from Wednesday to Saturday. Night-time lows will range from the upper 40s to low 50s.