Fire officials say a storm system moving across the South appears to be heading toward many of the largest ongoing wildfires and will help suppress them.
However, authorities say the rain moving across parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee likely won't end the fire threat and dangers posed by the blazes. Several of the largest fires are in Georgia and North Carolina.
Dave Martin of the U.S. Forest Service says high winds on the leading edge of the front could topple dead trees and put firefighters in danger. But Martin said the rains will certainly help the overall situation.
Forest Service spokesman Adam Rondeau says there are 24 large wildfires now burning throughout the southern U.S., covering about 133,000 acres.