Stevensville School Disrupted by Smoke Alarms, Poor Air Quality

Fire season is still going strong across much of the West. And with fire, brings smoke. The smoke from major fires burning all over Montana and surrounding states has been filling the skies. Air quality has diminished significantly as an inversion held much of the smoke from the Sharrot Fire in the valley.

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According to MTN News

The latest Sharrott Creek Fire west of Stevensville shows 3,018 acres have burned and the blaze is 36% contained as of Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2024. Evacuation warnings remain in place for some residents in the area of the blaze.There are currently 355 people assigned to the Sharrott Creek Fire which was sparked by lightning on Aug. 23, 2024.

The smoke settled into the valley. Creating a haze so thick you can no longer see the Bitterroot Mountain range. Ash continues to collect on cars all over the valley.

Read More: Wildfire Ash Makes Missoula Air Quality Unhealthy for Now

The smoke has gotten so thick in Stevensville, that it disrupted class this morning.

According to a message sent to parents of Stevensville students, Superintendent Dave Thennis wrote:

This morning we had an unplanned fire alarm in the multipurpose room. The alarm resulted from poor outdoor air coming through the intake in our ventilation system. There was no emergency, but students and staff handled this situation well. Unfortunately, there is potential for this to happen again.

I spoke with a student at the school and he told me that everyone handled the fire alarm evacuation great. No one panicked and everyone got back to class within 15 minutes of the alarm. The student went on to say that it was nothing more than a fire drill.