Scattered rain dampened fuel and allowed firefighters to make progress on mopping up and securing lines around a wildfire in eastern North Carolina that has burned for more than a month.

The rainfall from Saturday averaged one-tenth to one-quarter inch.

In addition, higher humidity decreased surface fire from the wildfire, which has burned more than 41,500 acres in and around the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

Although moist weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday, officials warned the ground fire in the peat soil continues to burn an average of three feet underground.

Incident Commander John Willis called the rain and higher humidities "a brief, welcome break to fire operations."