Wildfire Smoke & Health

Seeking Clean Air: Addressing the Wildfire and Health Challenge

Established in 2020, the Wildfire and Health project provides clean indoor air to people with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke. This includes education, outreach and assessment to provide HEPA filters to households and child-care facilities as well as to establish three Clean Air Centers in Flathead County as a place of respite from intense wildfire smoke.

Community partnerships are integral to our work. We partner with health care providers to provide HEPA air filters to low-income, vulnerable households. We collaborate with the Early Childhood Coalition of Flathead County to improve indoor clean air at child-care facilities. And we worked closely with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) in 2026 to upgrade three public buildings to provide clean, cool air for public use during the hot, wildfire smoke season: Columbia Falls Community Center, Whitefish Community Library, and Kalispell’s Gateway Community Center in collaboration with Northwest Montana United Way.

Due to hotter and drier weather resulting from a changing climate, western Montana is experiencing more frequent wildfires and smoky days. When smoke from wildfires pollutes the air, we all suffer, especially the most vulnerable in our population – the very young and old.  

Smoke includes small particulate matter, PM 2.5, that makes breathing more difficult. This can be a life-threatening issue for those with respiratory illnesses, allergies, or heart conditions. To help those in need, Climate Smart Glacier raises funds to purchase air filters for the purpose of donating them to low-income households.  The Flathead County Health Department and Logan Health Medical Center have been partners in this endeavor. To date, almost 200 air filters have been distributed.

The CSG clean-air project has also included education and outreach activities to increase awareness about reducing health risks from wildfire smoke.  In 2025, CSG received a Smoke Ready Communities grant to expand educational efforts and to pilot clean-air improvements for child-care facilities. This funding allowed us to purchase air monitors and classroom size air filters for child-care facilities that serve low-income families. The experience gained from these pilot projects can be a model for providing clean air to infants and toddlers that are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke pollutants due to their developing respiratory systems.

The 2026 establishment of three Clean Air Centers in Flathead County, with upgrades to HVAC and air filtration systems, builds upon a partnership that DPHHS has expanded across western Montana. DPHHS piloted this program in Missoula and Ravalli counties in 2025.  For more information about regional Clean Air Centers and how to protect your families during smoky periods, go to https://www.montanawildfiresmoke.org/clean-air-resource-centers. 

 

2025 Accomplishments

  • Partnered with Logan Health to distribute HEPA Filters to low-income at-risk households.
  • Received grant from Smoke Adapted Communities for outreach and child-care pilot.
  • Joined the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network.
  • MOU with Head Start to provide filters for classrooms as part of child-care pilot.

 

2026 Projects

  • Continue to partner with Logan Health to distribute HEPA filters.
  • Finish work on child-care pilot and will publish a case study after wildfire smoke season
  • Secure funding from Whitefish Community Foundation to expand partnership with Early Childhood Coalition of Flathead Valley.
  • Coordinate with Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to establish three Clean Air Centers, organize HVAC technician training and conduct outreach.
  • Collaborate with FireSafe Flathead on public education efforts.
  • Follow-up support and case study on clean air centers.

 

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