BUTTE – The mountains around Butte are obscured by smoke, but health officials say the air quality in Butte this week is still moderate. However, prepare for conditions to change.
“Later on, even this week air quality will deteriorate just because of forest fires,” said John Rolich with the Butte Health Department.
The current smoke settling over Butte is from the wildfires in California, Idaho and Oregon.
“Smoke travels a long way, it’s fine particulate we’re seeing so it goes a long way in the atmosphere,” Rolich said.
Still, if conditions worsen, officials say it’s best to limit outdoor activities.
“The biggest things are to limit exercise, stay inside, try not to exert yourself too much,” Rolich said.
And while more smoke is expected to drift into the area over the next few weeks, health officials say conditions now are far better than they were this time last year when the entire state was plagued with massive wildfires.
“This year is heaven compared to last year. If you can remember right after July 4th we ended up with very hazardous conditions throughout the whole state and it lasted throughout September,” Rolich said.
The hope this summer will be a much less smoky season.
