MISSOULA — A new wave of wildfire smoke is moving into the Missoula area this week, forcing many families and organizations to rethink their outdoor plans.
At the YMCA, summer camps are adapting quickly. Leaders say their new indoor facility is helping keep kids active and safe despite the unhealthy air.
"We’re definitely fortunate that we have a place to move kids indoors and still be able to do most of the activities that we have planned," Katie Grutsch, Missoula Family YMCA Director of Youth Sports and Activities, told MTN.
Smoky skies can make it tough on kids hoping to enjoy summertime fun.
"It makes a big difference for the kids to have that outdoor time," Grutsch said.
Grutsch says she’s grateful to have a newly renovated space and a variety of ways for kids to burn off energy inside. She notes that if camps were canceled it would hurt the YMCA financially and put a burden on families.
"A lot of those kids are in camp because their parents are working and they need a safe, fun place to go. So, we want to be able to provide that regardless of what the air quality is like," Grutsch detailed.
For staff planning activities, checking air quality is a day to day or even hour to hour affair.
"Whether that means we're moving kids inside for the majority of the day or just if we are kind of giving them breaks inside, if our outdoor activities meet to be modified so that they're less strenuous for the kids, looking at all of those things," Grutsch explained.
Around 250 kids are in camp this week. Many are playing on the rock wall or in the gyms, yet get short spurts in the sun at the splash pad when less smoke is in the air.
"They want to get out there and play and we have things we're trying to teach them. So, we want to still accomplish all of those things, but definitely in a way that is safe for them and their little lungs," Grutsch said.
Spots are still available to join in on the rest of the summer’s programs.
