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Several large fires are burning in southwestern Montana, though cooler temperatures and precipitation have helped crews make progress on the blazes. Southwestern portions of the state have dealt with significant wildfire activity during the past month and several large fires are burning in Ravalli, Beaverhead and Granite counties. The approximately 33,000 acre Sand Creek fire is the state’s largest, burning about 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway is currently closed and firefighters are planning to make use of it as a shaded fire break, which a press release from fire managers said involves cutting some trees and leaving others. The shaded fire break will also serve as a control line between the Sand Creek Fire and the Bobcat Fire, an approximately 10,000-acre wildfire burning just miles away. The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 is managing both blazes jointly.