BOYLSTON, Mass. – Thursday’s rain came as a welcome change of weather for firefighters across the state battling brush fires, but following weeks of minimal precipitation, fire danger is still a big concern.

Chief Joseph Flanagan of the Boylston Fire Department said in this historically dry period, it’s important for everyone to understand the potential damage and danger of an outdoor fire, regardless of recent rainfall.

“That includes candles and things like that. It’s just too dry to do anything with open flames outside,” Flanagan said.

DCR Fire Program Coordinator Alex Belote said the rain will likely help in the coming days to prevent fires from spreading and new fires from starting, but it’s not expected to fully extinguish any existing fires.

“The public should continue to be very careful with any ignition source,” Belote said. “Numerous communities across the state have instituted burn bans at the local level and these remain in place.”

In order to get out of the drought our region is currently in, National Weather Service data estimates Central Massachusetts would need to receive more than a foot of rain over the next month. Flanagan said a few days of showers won’t cut it.

“It’s going to make a little bit of a dent in it, but it’s not the answer,” Flanagan said. “We need days of soaking rain, or I think at this point we’re waiting for snowfall for any type of measurable precipitation to make a difference.”

This time of year, Flanagan said brush fires typically come in the form of small roadside fires, but due to the dry conditions, they’re now burning faster and deeper into the ground - factors which aren’t likely to change in the coming days.

The Boylston Fire Department just recently finished battling a two-acre brush fire near Rocky Pond.

“What we’re seeing is that the fire burns down sometimes a foot into the ground, so we have to go through and any smoldering spots, we dig up by hand and put more water on it,” Flanagan said. “And we maintain that process for a couple of days until we’re comfortable that it’s not only contained, but extinguished.”

Prior to Thursday’s rain, the city of Worcester had received less than a quarter-inch of rain for the entire month of November. On average, the city would’ve typically seen more than two and a half inches by this point of the month.