[Intro / Opening Remarks]

12 o’clock noon on The Trail 103.3 KTR, Florence–Missoula.
The Trail is locally owned and operated by the Missoula Broadcasting Company.

Hey, it’s Tommy—filling in again for my good friend and colleague in radio, Mike Smith.
Happy to open up our afternoon together with The Trail Lunchbox, brought to us every single weekday at noon.

Okay, clearly it’s my first day on the job—hitting the wrong buttons here… There we go!

Our sponsor, All Nations Health Center, brings us the Trail Lunchbox.
Happy to welcome into the Trail studio my guest, Amy Cilimburg.

Hi, I believe—well, I know for sure—that the last time we spoke in this room, I got your last name wrong, so thank you for correcting me today. (laughs)

And to your right, Carrie Mueller. Hi Carrie, welcome into The Trail—first time here as I understand?

Carrie: Yeah, thank you. Thanks for having me.

Amy, the Air Quality Specialist with Missoula Public Health, and Amy, Executive Director of Climate Smart Missoula.

[Wildfire Smoke Ready Week – What It Is]

Folks, it is my belief that fortune comes in many forms—and if you look outside today, the fortune is that we have no wildfire smoke in the valley.
Being born and raised here, that’s not really typical for this time of year.

Amy: Pretty lucky this year.
Tommy: I would say we’re very lucky, absolutely.

Regardless, the Fifth Annual Wildfire Smoke Ready Week is upon us, and that’s the point of our conversation today.

Where do we begin going into the fifth year—and what’s going on?

Amy: Yeah, so again—this is Amy—and Climate Smart Missoula has worked with Carrie and her colleagues at Missoula Public Health for a bunch of years here.
Five years ago, we started an annual week of just helping people prepare for wildfire smoke.
So hopefully, we are here before the smoke arrives—at least in Missoula and Western Montana.

We do have smoke in parts of our state coming down from Canada.
Carrie just noticed that Great Falls is already unhealthy for folks.

Carrie: Oh, it is.

Amy: Yeah, so the idea with this whole week is to be on the airwaves and out in the community and help people know that wildfire smoke is likely to be here sometime between now and when the snow flies.
And there are things you need to understand about how to know what the air quality is at any given time.
There are really easy websites we can talk about—where to go.
And also, what are the risks? Who’s at risk? And what do you do?

Luckily over the years, we’ve learned there are some pretty simple, basic, not-too-expensive ways that you can clean your indoor air when wildfire smoke is here—and that has really good benefits for your health.

So we use this week to share all that information.
And right from the start, I’ll just mention that MontanaWildfireSmoke.org is a website that we collaborate on with the health department.
We have lots of information there.

So—whatever you get out of this conversation—MontanaWildfireSmoke.org is your resource.

[Air Quality, Health Effects, and What to Do]

Tommy: Well, I find this very important and helpful because the challenge each year—when the wildfire smoke sets in and we can no longer see Mount Sentinel—is:
“Okay, I’m closing up the house, but I still need to run the air conditioner for the pets that are in my house while I’m gone at work.”
And now I have a problem on my hands when it’s very hot and we have a bunch of wildfire smoke in the valley.

So let’s continue—what else can we bring to the table with that challenge?

Carrie: Yeah, definitely. It’s so important to find a way and prepare to clean your indoor air during wildfire smoke season.

One of the best ways is by purchasing a portable air cleaner with a HEPA air filter. These machines are great because they can filter out the tiniest smoke particles in the air—known as PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 microns in size).

These particles are especially harmful because they bypass our bodily defenses and can even enter the bloodstream, setting off a slew of health impacts: headaches, shortness of breath, itchy eyes, sore throat, and more.

Vulnerable populations are especially at risk:

Asthmatics

People with heart or lung disease

People with COPD

Older adults

Pregnant persons

People working or living outside

But it’s important to remember—everyone can be impacted differently.

Tommy: That’s a great point. Once it settles in the Missoula Valley, we can’t escape it. So the big key is the HEPA filter, right? One of the first steps you take?

Amy: Yeah, cleaning your indoor air. You mentioned maybe you have central AC to keep your dog happy during the day.

Two things on that:

People with central air might be able to install a higher grade filter, like a MERV 13.

Others still use portable HEPA filters as supplements.

They’re not expensive, and very easy to use—even move room-to-room.

There are even DIY systems where you attach a furnace filter to a box fan. That simple setup pulls air through the filter and helps clean it.

Because when you’re inside during smoke season, particles like PM2.5 do find their way into your home. The longer the smoke stays, the more it builds up inside.

We used to say:
“It’s smoky outside—go inside.”
Now we say:
“Go inside to a place with clean indoor air—for you and your dog.”

Tommy: I know that when we moved into these studios, I put in a MERV 13 filter.

Amy: That’s the magic number!

Tommy: I was blown away at how frequently we had to change them—because they work. It’s unbelievable how much they collect over time.

But not every system supports that. You need to check if your system can handle that high of efficiency. The fan could burn out faster otherwise.

But again—you’ve compiled the resources so people don’t have to go digging in books to figure it out. It's all online, thanks to your work.

Amy: Yeah, we’ve worked to make it accessible.
The more we learn about air pollution and health, the more we realize that there are simple steps we can take.

Check in on neighbors—maybe you have an elderly neighbor who doesn’t have a filter. Help them. It’s about community.

Tommy: I think I spent maybe $150 on two HEPA filters. My house is only 800 sq ft, and they’ve been amazing. And they even remind me on my phone when it’s time to replace the filter—ding ding!

[Where to Get Info / Forecasting Tools]

Tommy: Earlier you mentioned smoke entering parts of the state—where can listeners go to stay prepared and find that information?

Carrie: The best resource is fire.airnow.gov.

It shows:

Air monitors across the U.S. and Canada

Where fires are

Smoke plumes (if significant)

You can also get the AirNow app on your phone.

Right before this, I checked it—Cut Bank and Havre are unhealthy, Choteau and Great Falls are also showing poor air quality.

Another resource is the Montana DEQ Air Quality page, where you can sign up for smoke forecasts.

This is helpful if you have family elsewhere in the state. These forecasts cover all of Montana.
And if you’re in Missoula County, you can also email me at airquality@missoulacounty.us for local forecasts.

[Community Events & Market Outreach]

Tommy: We’re a few days into Wildfire Smoke Ready Week—some volunteers will be out this weekend?

Amy: Yep!
We’ll be at the original Farmers Market near the red XXXs on Saturday morning, and at the Clark Fork River Market under the Climate Smart Missoula tent.

We’ll show people what HEPA filters look like—and even tell you about a $100 rebate from Northwestern Energy if you're a customer.

Other stops:

Out to Lunch tomorrow

Missoula Public Library mid-day Thursday and Friday

We have brochures, resources, and answers—especially for folks new to Missoula.

Tommy: Great reminder—MontanaWildfireSmoke.org.

[Final Thoughts]

Tommy: Amy, Carrie—have we missed anything important?

Carrie: Just the main points:

Check fire.airnow.gov for local air quality.

Visit MontanaWildfireSmoke.org to learn about indoor air cleaning and health.

Tommy: So if smoke pours in tomorrow and we’ve jinxed the valley, we’re to blame?

Amy (laughing): If only we could move the air ourselves...

Also important to mention:
The forecast through September shows hotter and drier than normal conditions.
Climate change is creating longer, more intense wildfire seasons.
Even if it’s been “normal” before—it’s not anymore.

Small steps help—like staying indoors with clean air, delaying a hike, or wearing an N95 mask.
We’re also setting up Clean Air Centers:

Missoula Public Library

Lolo School Library

Seeley Lake High School

Darby, Hamilton, and Stevensville Libraries in Ravalli County

Not everyone has clean indoor air at home—but these spaces can provide respite.

[Closing]

Tommy: Again, the website: MontanaWildfireSmoke.org—plan for clean indoor air.

Amy Cilimburg and Carrie Mueller, thank you both so much for your time—and for all that you do.

Amy & Carrie: Thank you so much for having us.
Always a pleasure.