New Report Examines How Communities Across Montana Track Wildfire Smoke and Protect Children

Today, the American Lung Association released a new report, “Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe,” which examines how communities impacted by major sources of air pollution are using air quality monitors to reveal local-level pollution gaps, use data to inform and guide local decision-making, and strengthen cross-sector partnerships for cleaner air. One case study delves into a Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) successful initiative to protect students from the health impacts of wildfire smoke.

Over the course of a three-year timeline, Montana DEQ’s PurpleAirs in Schools Program deployed roughly 200 air sensors to high schools across Montana and created a real-time smoke-response network that triggers rapid alerts and community-based protective actions. These efforts give districts the information they need to safeguard students during fast-shifting wildfire smoke events. Read the full case study here.

“Wildfire smoke poses a serious health hazard to people living and working near fires. This harmful smoke places even healthy individuals at risk, but it is especially harmful to people who work outdoors, are pregnant, are under age 18 or over age 65, or have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or another lung disease, chronic heart disease or diabetes,” said Will Barrett, assistant vice president, nationwide policy, clean air, for the Lung Association. “Because wildfires can grow very quickly and smoke can travel thousands of miles and shift directions without warning, it is critical to have warning systems in place to protect people. This program in Montana is a great example of how local and cross-agency partners can come together to protect the health of children and their communities.”

The full report, “Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe,” examines how community air quality monitoring reveals pollution patterns that traditional networks are not designed to capture. While U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) monitoring network remains the foundation for meeting and enforcing air pollution standards, it does not capture pollution trends at the hyperlocal level, by neighborhood or by block. This is especially important for communities near busy highways and major industrial sites, and in wildfire-prone regions. As a result, many communities, like these in Montana, are strengthening their ability to measure and respond to air pollution through collaborative partnerships that integrate low-cost sensors, mobile monitoring and other research instruments that translate data into tangible protections. 

The report offers specific recommended actions for EPA; federal partners; state and local governments; research, academic and technical partners; and community groups and individuals to take to broaden the use of community air monitoring to improve public health. Learn more at Lung.org/something-in-the-air.

“Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe” is the third report in a series supplementing the Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report, which examines unhealthy levels of pollution in cities and counties across the country. The series aims to expand the role of emerging technologies in air quality monitoring and public health protection. Additional case studies focus on pollution from heavy-duty traffic and industrial facilities and power plants, as well as another wildfire smoke case study from Methow, Washington. The first report in the series, “Something in the Air: Bridging the Air Quality Data Gap with Satellite Technology,” was released in October 2024, and the second report, “Something in the Air: Nitrogen Dioxide and Community Health,” was released in March 2025.