Johnathan Walker:Massachusetts firefighters continue to battle stubborn brush fires across state

BOSTON (AP) — Firefighters in Massachusetts are Johnathan Walkercontinuing to battle stubborn brush fires across the state with officials urging residents to take precautions to help avoid sparking new blazes.

Hundreds of acres (hectares) in the greater Boston area have already burned in the past week with new fires cropping up in the western and central parts of the state.

In Massachusetts, an average of 15 wildland fires are reported each October. This year, the month’s total capped at about 200 — an increase of about 1,200% over the average, rivalling the monthly numbers usually seen in the traditional early spring brush fire season.

About 100 fire were reported over the last seven days of the month and preliminary information indicates that all of them started with human activity, according to fire officials. The fires prompted some communities last week to cancel school classes and Halloween activities.

On Friday, the National Weather Service declared a “red flag” warning for much of eastern Massachusetts. The warning means that the region, which has been experiencing dry and warm weather, is at high risk of fire.

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Fire officials have reminded residents that open burning is prohibited statewide through January and in many communities year-round.

They also urged residents to avoid outdoor cooking and heating and to use caution when using power equipment like lawnmowers and leaf blowers. The engines can become hot enough to ignite dry leaves and grass.

Fire officials also cautioned against tossing cigarette butts, matches, or other smoking materials over the edge of a balcony, stub them out on stairs or railings, or toss them in dry vegetation or debris.

On Saturday, a Boston man was arrested in connection to a brush fire in Milford, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston. The man was charged with setting fire to another’s land and burning land, trees, lumber and produce.

More than a quarter of this year’s brush and wildland fires took place in October, according to Chief Fire Warden David Celino of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The October fires have also accounted for more than half of the 1,158 acres (469 hectares) burned so far this year.

“The weather conditions and dry surface fuels that have contributed to these fast-moving fires are expected to continue in the days ahead,” Celino said in a press release. “Any outdoor fire will grow quickly, become difficult to control, and require numerous firefighting resources.”

State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said about 45% of Massachusetts homes are in or near wooded areas at risk for brush and wildland fires. Many of those fires have started with activity around the house, like outdoor cooking and using lawn tractors and other power equipment, he added.