Out of 55 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 55 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 30/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 2,798 |
Top 55 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravalli | Montana | 51/100 | 34 | 9 |
| 2 | Big Horn | Montana | 43/100 | 111 | 7 |
| 3 | Sanders | Montana | 40/100 | 60 | 8 |
| 4 | Mineral | Montana | 40/100 | 13 | 5 |
| 5 | Rosebud | Montana | 39/100 | 141 | 10 |
| 6 | Missoula | Montana | 39/100 | 62 | 19 |
| 7 | Granite | Montana | 39/100 | 20 | 3 |
| 8 | Lincoln | Montana | 38/100 | 238 | 8 |
| 9 | Flathead | Montana | 36/100 | 238 | 18 |
| 10 | Lake | Montana | 36/100 | 62 | 12 |
| 11 | Treasure | Montana | 35/100 | 141 | 5 |
| 12 | Custer | Montana | 35/100 | 141 | 5 |
| 13 | Lewis and Clark | Montana | 35/100 | 56 | 15 |
| 14 | Yellowstone | Montana | 34/100 | 111 | 26 |
| 15 | Carbon | Montana | 34/100 | 111 | 11 |
| 16 | Silver Bow | Montana | 34/100 | 35 | 8 |
| 17 | Musselshell | Montana | 33/100 | 141 | 6 |
| 18 | Powder River | Montana | 33/100 | 109 | 5 |
| 19 | Madison | Montana | 33/100 | 35 | 11 |
| 20 | Jefferson | Montana | 32/100 | 29 | 8 |
| 21 | Powell | Montana | 32/100 | 19 | 4 |
| 22 | Carter | Montana | 31/100 | 109 | 4 |
| 23 | Roosevelt | Montana | 31/100 | 47 | 5 |
| 24 | Beaverhead | Montana | 31/100 | 35 | 6 |
| 25 | Garfield | Montana | 30/100 | 88 | 4 |
| 26 | Fergus | Montana | 30/100 | 35 | 11 |
| 27 | Stillwater | Montana | 30/100 | 2 | 5 |
| 28 | Dawson | Montana | 29/100 | 72 | 7 |
| 29 | Fallon | Montana | 29/100 | 36 | 4 |
| 30 | Petroleum | Montana | 29/100 | 19 | 1 |
| 31 | Cascade | Montana | 29/100 | 7 | 19 |
| 32 | Deer Lodge | Montana | 29/100 | 6 | 2 |
| 33 | Wibaux | Montana | 28/100 | 46 | 1 |
| 34 | Judith Basin | Montana | 27/100 | 27 | 6 |
| 35 | Daniels | Montana | 27/100 | 9 | 5 |
| 36 | Broadwater | Montana | 27/100 | 8 | 4 |
| 37 | Sweet Grass | Montana | 27/100 | 7 | 6 |
| 38 | Golden Valley | Montana | 27/100 | 2 | 2 |
| 39 | Glacier | Montana | 26/100 | 14 | 4 |
| 40 | Sheridan | Montana | 26/100 | 9 | 9 |
| 41 | Wheatland | Montana | 26/100 | 1 | 4 |
| 42 | McCone | Montana | 25/100 | 58 | 2 |
| 43 | Chouteau | Montana | 25/100 | 40 | 7 |
| 44 | Richland | Montana | 25/100 | 15 | 5 |
| 45 | Meagher | Montana | 25/100 | 4 | 4 |
| 46 | Park | Montana | 25/100 | 1 | 7 |
| 47 | Gallatin | Montana | 24/100 | 29 | 15 |
| 48 | Teton | Montana | 23/100 | 4 | 7 |
| 49 | Valley | Montana | 22/100 | 47 | 12 |
| 50 | Phillips | Montana | 22/100 | 35 | 7 |
| 51 | Pondera | Montana | 22/100 | 3 | 4 |
| 52 | Blaine | Montana | 21/100 | 35 | 5 |
| 53 | Hill | Montana | 20/100 | 40 | 7 |
| 54 | Liberty | Montana | 14/100 | 1 | 3 |
| 55 | Toole | Montana | 13/100 | 0 | 8 |
Methodology
County rankings for Montana based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.