NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Several inches of rain in October eased the exceptional drought that has covered the state, but forestry officials say there is still plenty of risk for wildfires.

“Going into this fall fire season, we’ve been on pins and needles,” said Tim Phelps, with the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “We are not out of that situation yet, but it (rain) has significantly helped.”

Months of excessive heat and dry weather parched the state’s vegetation, turning acres of browning trees into fuel for spreading forest fires. Before October, much of the state was running 15 to 20 inches below normal for precipitation, according to the National Weather Service.

“That equates to about 60 percent of the normal precipitation for the year,” explained James LaRosa, an NWS hydrologist in Nashville.

Forestry officials became concerned in August about the threat of forest fires burning homes and acreage, so they declared the fire season that usually begins in October to be under way and started requiring outdoor burning permits immediately. Even with the added precautions, by October _ the usual start of wildfire season _ the state had more than 3,000 fires statewide, well above the 2,198 fires that occurred in all of 2006.

But a slow moving front settled over Tennessee in the third and fourth week of October and brought some much needed relief for dried-up plants and trees. In Middle Tennessee some counties saw above normal precipitation in what is typically one of the driest months of the year, LaRosa said.

“Many locations picked up 4-8 inches, well over the normal 3 inches of precipitation for October,” he said.

The rain created a dramatic reduction in fire activity as it soaked timber and leaves and increased moisture levels in the air and soil, said Phelps.

“The week following that, we only had one fire statewide due to a campfire,” Phelps said. “For this time of the year, that is very unusual.”

Many counties also temporarily approved permits for outdoor fires after the rainfall.

Forecasters warn that the state is not out of the danger of the extreme drought, and it could take years for reservoirs and lakes to recover. Vegetation can recover more quickly if Tennessee gets normal amounts of precipitation through the winter season, Hotz said.

“It looks like conditions will continue to be dry,” Phelps said. “If that holds true, we’re going to get back to where we were in a short time.”

LaRosa said that even if the state continues to have rain in November and December, 2007 will likely be the one of the driest years on record.

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