BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — Water is a fireman’s best friend. But lately, water has been a scarce commodity.

“Thankfully we got rainfall, much, much needed rainfall,” Foley Fire Chief Joey Darby said. “Arguably not enough rainfall for a long-term relief.”

For now, it’s enough to lift a statewide “No Burn Order” in 33 Alabama counties.

“The state felt like we had enough rainfall in our area, the southern part of the state, to relieve some of this burn fear,” Darby said.

Since Oct. 1, 727 wildfires consumed more than 7,700 acres across the state. In the nine days since the “No Burn Order” was issued, 53 wildfires burned approximately 200 acres.

For now, limited burning will be allowed in the southern half of Alabama.

“We are looking at the smaller fires, burn piles, debris piles,” Darby said.

With only 1.5-2 inches of rain in the last five days, the lifting of the burn ban could be short-lived, according to Darby.

“We are going to closely monitor continued rainfall,” Darby said. “We need more next week or else we will go right back into the same status.”

If you are planning to burn, there are two things you need to do first. First, get a burn permit from your local fire department and notify Baldwin Co. 911.