PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. - The Upstate is getting a much-needed dose of rain as two wildfires continue to burn thousands of acres. It's an answer to prayers all across the Upstate, the sight of rain falling on both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. “We are hoping for more (Sunday night), maybe tomorrow even- but all that helps does help firefighting effort," said Russell Hubright with the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The rain followed a dry and windy week, which helped the fires rapidly spread. Now, with Mother Nature on their side, firefighters are taking advantage of having the upper hand. “The rain doesn't put out the fire, but it does a couple of things for us: it allows our firefighters to get closer to the active fire, so if the fire is really rocking 'n rolling and going to the tops of the trees, we can’t get in there anywhere close," Hubright added. "So, what we have been able to do today because the flames are so much lower is to get up right next to them and put the fire breaks right next to the line.” When strengthening fire lines, crews make sure all fuels close to the line are cooled off, a hard job made easier by rain, "we have to use water and hand tools, and anything the size of your arm, your finger, twigs, branches, everything in there that is smoldering has to be cooled off, so that those embers don't get flamed by the next dry wind we have and cause the fire to reignite.” However, firefighters are not alone; the South Carolina State Guard was activated Friday evening to assist. "We are always revaluating what our needs are, we are working very closely with the National Guard up here. They have provided ariel assets and a lot of the overflights and tanker flights. They have dropped just under 850,000 gallons of water on this fire so far and had over 700 flights," Major David Finleyson said. The South Carolina Forestry Commission stated that the Saturday burnout operation greatly helped firefighters on the west and southwest sides of the fire. ...read more read less