July 20, 2026

Currently there are a few small active fires in Western Montana. These should not impact travel plans, however our website is a great resource for alternative options. Or, during business hours, our live-chat staff would be happy to assist with other suggestions.

There is moderate smoke visible in some areas of Western Montana’s Glacier Country. You can find out more about air quality here, https://deq.mt.gov/air/Programs/smokeforecasts. If you’re wanting to avoid the smoke and try some of our many indoor activities instead, we’ve got a great blog on suggestions: https://glaciermt.com/things-to-do-indoors. Please remember, although it might be smokey in one area, it could be clear five miles away or clear up if the wind blows.

There are currently no fire restrictions in place in Western Montana, but it’s never a bad idea to check this link before building a campfire: Montana State Fire Restrictions.

June 17, 2026

We’ve had a wet spring here in Western Montana, which means we’ve had little to no wildfire activity.  Currently there are a few small active fires, but they’re all reported as being contained. For more information go to https://mt.gov/fire.aspx. These should not impact travel plans, however our website is a great resource for alternative options. Or, during business hours, our live-chat staff would be happy to assist with other suggestions.

Currently our air quality is not impacted by fires, in Montana or beyond, but in case of smoke in the environment, this is an excellent  resource:    https://deq.mt.gov/air/Programs/smokeforecasts. If you’re wanting to avoid the smoke and try some of our many indoor activities instead, we’ve got a great blog on suggestions: blog.glaciermt.com/a-to-z-winter-indoor-things-to-do-in-western-montana. Please remember, although it might be smokey in one area, it could be clear five miles away or clear up if the wind blows.

There are currently no fire restrictions in place in Western Montana, but it’s never a bad idea to check this link before building a campfire: Montana State Fire Restrictions. 

Resources

Here are some links that will help you stay informed in case there are wildland fires in Western Montana. Check back often, as these sites are updated daily.

We also have many webcams set up across Western Montana so we can see the beauty of Glacier Country at any time. You can also see if there’s smoke in the area. Here are a few so you can see what is happening right now in our area:

If you ever have to revise your travel plans in Western Montana because of wildland fires or smoke, Glacier Country’s call center can help you. Chat online here or call 800.338.5072.

You’ll find blue skies throughout most of Western Montana. Photo: Christian Sawaski

Recreate Responsibly

  • Stay on designated roads and avoid parking on dry brush or grass, as exhaust pipes and vehicle undercarriages can be very hot and easily start a wildland fire.
  • Campers should never leave a campfire unattended, and always make sure fires are completely extinguished before leaving the site.
  • Extinguish and properly dispose of cigarette butts. And never, ever throw them out the window!
  • Follow Montana State Fire Restrictions. We love camping as much as the next guy, but s’mores over a campfire are not always in the cards as certain areas may be restricted.
  • Learn more about how you can prevent wildland fires from Recreate Responsibly in Western Montana.

Under Stage 1 Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

  1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
  2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Under Stage 2 Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

  • Building maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
  • Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
  • Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.
  • The following acts are prohibited from 1:00 pm to 1:00 am:
    • Operating any internal combustion engine.
    • Welding, or operating acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
    • Using an explosive.

For more information on fire restrictions in the state of Montana, please refer to mtfireinfo.org.

When there are wildfires, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. You’re safe. Most wildland fires, when they happen, are in the back country, miles from civilization and any structures. Montana is home to 3,443,038 acres of wilderness, and most fires happen there. If, by chance, a wildland fire gets close to a community, our firefighting experts communicate, evacuate and communicate some more. If you are in an area that is being evacuated, don’t panic. Someone will notify you before you are in an emergency situation. Road access will also be blocked off if a road in unsafe to travel. You will not find yourself unwittingly in the midst of a wildfire. Ever. Public safety is always the first concern. If an area is open, it is safe. Here is a map of current fires in Montana.
  2. Montana is huge. Vast, in fact. Over 145,556 square miles or 94,109,440 acres, to be precise. If you read that a fire is 6,400 acres, keep it in perspective, as that’s only a tiny, tiny fraction of Montana’s total acreage. Sometimes newspaper headlines and social media posts can be unnecessarily dramatic and imply that Montana as a whole is “on fire.” It sounds better than to say .000068 of Montana is on fire, which is actually more accurate.
  3. Fire is a natural part of our region’s ecology. Most fires are started by lightning, and are responsible for maintaining the health and perpetuity of certain fire-dependent ecosystems. We don’t pretend to be scientists, but we do have a lot of scientists in our area and resources in our partners at the state and federal levels, and we’ve attached a link to fire ecology below.
  4. And, because we always think the glass is at least half full here in Glacier Country, when the sky is a bit smoky, the sunsets are phenomenal.
Morel mushrooms—the caviar of the mushroom family—like to grow in post-fire areas.

If you ever have to revise your travel plans in Western Montana because of wildland fires or smoke, Glacier Country’s call center can help you. Chat online here or call 800.338.5072.

August 25, 2025

Currently there are a few small active fires in Western Montana, the largest of which is the Knowles Fire in Sanders County. For more information go to https://mt.gov/fire.aspx. These should not impact travel plans, however our website is a great resource for alternative options. Or, during business hours, our live-chat staff would be happy to assist with other suggestions.

There is moderate smoke visible in some areas of Western Montana’s Glacier Country. You can find out more about air quality here, https://deq.mt.gov/air/Programs/smokeforecasts. If you’re wanting to avoid the smoke and try some of our many indoor activities instead, we’ve got a great blog on suggestions: blog.glaciermt.com/a-to-z-winter-indoor-things-to-do-in-western-montana. Please remember, although it might be smokey in one area, it could be clear five miles away or clear up if the wind blows.

There are currently no fire restrictions in place in Western Montana, but it’s never a bad idea to check this link before building a campfire: Montana State Fire Restrictions. 

July 25, 2025

There is an active fire in the Bitterroot Valley south of Hamilton near Darby, and evacuations and evacuation warnings are currently taking place in the area.

For more information go to https://mt.gov/fire.aspx. If your travel plans have been impacted by this, our website is a great resource for alternative options. Or, during business hours, our live-chat staff would be happy to assist with other suggestions.

July 20, 2025

There have been numerous wild land fires around the area, but most are in the backcountry and smoke seems to be at a minimum.

There are currently a couple fire restrictions in place in Western Montana, including the Bitterroot National Forest and Missoula County, both of which are under Stage 2.  See below for specifics of what is restricted in Stage 2.

A recent fire in Missoula County was deemed to be human-caused–please remember to do your part in recreating responsibly.

June 27, 2025

It’s officially summer in Glacier Country, and it’s been hot and dry in some areas of Western Montana. Currently there is a wildland fire burning in Big Arm, on Flathead Lake.

There are currently no fire restrictions in place in Western Montana, but it’s never a bad idea to check this link before building a campfire: Montana State Fire Restrictions. 

Resources

Here are some links that will help you stay informed in case there are wildland fires in Western Montana. Check back often, as these sites are updated daily.

We also have many webcams set up across Western Montana so we can see the beauty of Glacier Country at any time. You can also see if there’s smoke in the area. Here are a few so you can see what is happening right now in our area:

If you ever have to revise your travel plans in Western Montana because of wildland fires or smoke, Glacier Country’s call center can help you. Chat online here or call 800.338.5072.

You’ll find blue skies throughout most of Western Montana.

Recreate Responsibly

  • Stay on designated roads and avoid parking on dry brush or grass, as exhaust pipes and vehicle undercarriages can be very hot and easily start a wildland fire.
  • Campers should never leave a campfire unattended, and always make sure fires are completely extinguished before leaving the site.
  • Extinguish and properly dispose of cigarette butts. And never, ever throw them out the window!
  • Follow Montana State Fire Restrictions. We love camping as much as the next guy, but s’mores over a campfire are not always in the cards as certain areas may be restricted.
  • Learn more about how you can prevent wildland fires from Recreate Responsibly in Western Montana.

Under Stage 1 Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

  1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
  2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Under Stage 2 Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

  • Building maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
  • Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
  • Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.
  • The following acts are prohibited from 1:00 pm to 1:00 am:
    • Operating any internal combustion engine.
    • Welding, or operating acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
    • Using an explosive.

For more information on fire restrictions in the state of Montana, please refer to mtfireinfo.org.

When there are wildfires, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. You’re safe. Most wildland fires, when they happen, are in the back country, miles from civilization and any structures. Montana is home to 3,443,038 acres of wilderness, and most fires happen there. If, by chance, a wildland fire gets close to a community, our firefighting experts communicate, evacuate and communicate some more. If you are in an area that is being evacuated, don’t panic. Someone will notify you before you are in an emergency situation. Road access will also be blocked off if a road in unsafe to travel. You will not find yourself unwittingly in the midst of a wildfire. Ever. Public safety is always the first concern. If an area is open, it is safe. Here is a map of current fires in Montana.
  2. Montana is huge. Vast, in fact. Over 145,556 square miles or 94,109,440 acres, to be precise. If you read that a fire is 6,400 acres, keep it in perspective, as that’s only a tiny, tiny fraction of Montana’s total acreage. Sometimes newspaper headlines and social media posts can be unnecessarily dramatic and imply that Montana as a whole is “on fire.” It sounds better than to say .000068 of Montana is on fire, which is actually more accurate.
  3. Fire is a natural part of our region’s ecology. Most fires are started by lightning, and are responsible for maintaining the health and perpetuity of certain fire-dependent ecosystems. We don’t pretend to be scientists, but we do have a lot of scientists in our area and resources in our partners at the state and federal levels, and we’ve attached a link to fire ecology below.
  4. And, because we always think the glass is at least half full here in Glacier Country, when the sky is a bit smoky, the sunsets are phenomenal.
Morel mushrooms—the caviar of the mushroom family—like to grow in post-fire areas.

If you ever have to revise your travel plans in Western Montana because of wildland fires or smoke, Glacier Country’s call center can help you. Chat online here or call 800.338.5072.

July 19, 2026

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