Why the smoky air?

By ksl.com

September 17th, 2012 @ 7:03pm

SALT LAKE CITY &#8212 A cold front moved into the state overnight, transporting smoke from fires throughout Idaho into Utah.

The front is not only dropping temperatures, but pushing a noticeable amount of haze into Northern and Central Utah, about a month after the same fires affected air quality in the area.

Idaho officials believe the shorter days, cooler nights and higher humidity that comes with fall will help firefighters battle the fires, the largest of which is just east of Boise.

Fires have claimed 1.5 million acres in Idaho from more than 1,000 separate fires this season. The largest fire, called the Mustang Complex Fire, has so far burned nearly 324,000 acres in northern Idaho.