Ahead of the drier months, those who burn leaf and brush piles will need to have a burn permit.

Permits will be required between October 15 and May 15.

State foresters said that due to rainfall, wildfire numbers are low this year, but concern should still be shown when burning debris.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has a list of items that can and cannot be burned.

"This is typically the driest part of the year," said UTC Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science professor Dr. David Aborn. "It would be very easy for a fire to get out of control."

Burn permits are available free of charge.

In Chattanooga, however, permits do cost money. The Chattanooga/Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau has a list of permits and their prices available.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture also encourages checking to see if burning is allowed depending on time and weather.

The APCB website shows when burning is permitted.