Burn ban lifted for Bay County; fire weather could still be a factor

AI-assisted summary

Widespread rains in Bay County, Florida, have cleared the way for officials to lift an eight-day burn ban.

Despite recent rainfall, the region remains in a moderate to severe drought.

Forecasters do not expect significant rain in the near future, and fire weather concerns may return.

PANAMA CITY— Some widespread rain cleared the way for officials to lift Bay County's burn ban after eight days.

The rains came as the U.S. Drought Monitor's Sept. 25 update showed Bay County was in a moderate drought, with some pockets of the region facing a severe drought.

Although the area has finally gotten some rain after a dry September, the National Weather Service Tallahassee forecasting office isn't too optimistic.

"Drought has expanded this week across the forecast area (k