State officials on Tuesday urged Massachusetts residents and businesses to conserve water and avoid open flames of any size on their property or elsewhere as firefighters continued trying to contain dozens of wildfires across the state amid high winds and drought conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for most of the state and parts of Connecticut, saying conditions were critical and fires could spread quickly.

relentless drought By drying out much of the region, it makes it easier for any fire to spread quickly, increasing the number of wildfires this autumn and prompting authorities to issue a stern warning against any activity that could spark more fires.

“A lot of these fires that we’re seeing are caused by human behavior,” Gov. Maura Healey told reporters at a news conference in Middleton on Tuesday. “Now is not the time to burn the leaves. Now is not the time to go out and light a fire out back and sit around one of the stoves. Just not then.”

As of Tuesday morning, the state had seen a total of 261 wildland fires in November alone, up from 212 in October and well above the 15 fires the state has seen on average in October over the past six years, officials said. he said at a news conference in Middleton, where the fire has consumed more than 240 acres near Middleton Pond.

The largest wildfire was first reported on Friday evening The fire at Mount Gilead in Lynn is 60 percent contained and covers 427 acres, according to state officials. The fires in Lynn and Middleton are among 14 wildfires that the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has described as “significant (and) ongoing.” The smallest was a 5-acre fire on Crag Mountain South in Northfield, but officials said any fire that reached 6 acres would likely require several days of intervention from firefighters.

at Cain Hill in Salem and Lynn (more than 140 acres, 60 percent contained) and at Boxford State Forest in North Andover and Boxford (128 acres, 20 percent contained), according to the State Department of Fire Services. Large fires were reported.

Many towns have followed the lead of state fire officials by expanding local bans on open burning. Officials in Hopkinton, Stoneham and Taunton said Tuesday that outdoor burning, which is normally not allowed until Jan. 15, will be banned until the area receives enough rain to reduce the risk of fire.

Duxbury Fire Chief Robert Reardon said his department responded to several calls about illegal burning over the weekend.

“When we arrived on scene, we extinguished the fire and educated the homeowners,” he said.

Officials also warned residents to be careful when using electrical equipment such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers and all-terrain vehicles because engines can get hot enough to ignite dry leaves and grass.

Healey asked residents and businesses to protect water use and support public water supplies as firefighters continue to battle wildfires that continue to flare.

“It’s really important for people to do things like run the dishwasher less often,” Healey said. “Make sure you only run your washing machine at full capacity. Take shorter showers. I’ll tell my kids, ‘Take shorter showers.’

“And fix plumbing leaks immediately,” he added. “This is important because we have to save water because water is currently being used to fight these fires.”

The fires burning in Massachusetts are among those that have broken out in the Northeast in recent weeks during a period of low rainfall until early September, officials said.

Only 6 percent of the Northeast is currently in the ‘normal’ phase (drought or no drought), the third-lowest percentage since the U.S. Drought Monitor began in 2000. Massachusetts is in the worst shape, currently at 32 percent of the state. a severe drought.

Nearly all of the major weather stations in New England have experienced rain shortages of between 3 and 9 inches this fall. Boston, Providence, and Portland, Maine are currently experiencing the second driest fall on record; Milton, Taunton, Norwood, Worcester, Springfield and Hartford are experiencing the driest fall.

Climate change has increased the risk of wildfires in Massachusetts and across the U.S. as drought worsens, according to a report. statewide climate assessment.

Above-average temperatures accelerate the rate of evaporation, worsening the impact of drought when it occurs. This means drier plants that catch fire more easily and less water to fight the flames.

Retired Lynn Fire Chief Jim McDonald said brush fires pose different risks to firefighters compared to structure fires.

“I’m more comfortable in a burning building,” McDonald said Tuesday as he put his golf clubs in the bed of his pickup truck at Gannon Municipal Golf Course in Lynn. “I am serious. I feel like I can handle this better than being out in the woods. “This is a tough job.”

Drought-related fires like this one can burn deep into the ground, increasing the likelihood of downed trees and limbs, said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the state fire marshal’s office.

Smoke was thick at Gannon Municipal Golf Course on Tuesday and was in danger over the weekend when flames reached the edge of the course.

Course superintendent Kyle Levesque said he had been working with firefighters for days to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading into the course’s buildings or, worse, homes next to them. There were points on the course where “you couldn’t see 20 feet in front of you,” he said.

Levesque was still working hard on Tuesday; It was covered in soot and spraying around the smoldering roots. Other than a few green areas, the course was largely preserved. In Levesque’s words, “they were definitely lucky.”

Other citizens expressed similar concerns.

“The smoke is so strong,” said Silvia Martinez, who lives a short walk from the entrance to the Lynn Woods Reservation. “We need to turn on the air conditioning to get him out of the house.”

Katerina Ozerova, who lives nearby, also said the air quality over the past few days had been “pretty scary,” especially with her elderly parents and newborn baby at home. He added that the family is trying to stay inside as much as possible.

“There are some days when you go out and it’s milky,” he said. “You can’t see anything.”

Globe staff Ken Mahan, Erin Douglas and Matt Stout and Globe reporter Chris Gloninger contributed to this report. Materials from the Associated Press were also used.

Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected]. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports. Marianne Mizera can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @MareMizera.