Thursday's rain was a welcome sight for areas of Ocean County affected by Sunday’s massive forest fire.

“I've never been more happy in my life to see rain and I don't really like rain,” says fire victim Lisa Lerche. “I'd rather have snow, but I'll take anything that's coming down. 

The fire torched 167 acres, destroyed some buildings in Lakewood and damaged 29 homes on the other side of the woods in Brick Township, including Lerche’s.

“We were let back in and there were still fires igniting behind some of the houses, so we thought we were going to be evacuated again.”

The extreme dryness contributed to the fast-spreading nature of Sunday's fire, and while investigators say they have pinpointed a point of origin, the cause is still under review. 

Fire season runs until full leaf out in New Jersey, typically around May 1.