NORTHAMPTON — As the threat of a brush fire that scorched 55 acres of wilderness in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area waned on Monday, state fire officials say Massachusetts is not out of the woods yet when it comes to fires that have proliferated in the last month thanks to drought conditions and little precipitation.

“It’s that time of year where people like to sit outside and enjoy a fire, myself included,” said Jon Davine, the state’s fire marshal. “But it’s just so dry out right now that just the smallest stray ember could be enough to start one.”

Davine said the commonwealth has seen a massive increase in the number of brush fires last month compared to previous years. Since 2018 there had been an average of 18 brush fires across the state for the month of October, but this year there had been more than 200 reported covering more than 600 acres of land. Already in November, there have been 30 reported brush fires, with four being reported in the last 24 hours as of noon Monday, according to Davine.

Davine said the rapid rise in the number of brush fires could be attributed to unusually warm and dry conditions over the last month, with temperature forecast continuing to exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit on select days combined with a lack of rainfall. The fires themselves are generally caused by humans, Davine said, mostly unintentionally through outdoor cooking and campfires.

Northampton firefighters on Monday continue to work toward extinguishing a brush fire around the Fitzgerald Lake, achieving 85% containment as of Monday morning.

The brush fire, first reported on Friday, has affected 55 acres of land, according to the governor’s office. Firefighters worked throughout the weekend to combat the blaze, managing to prevent further spread of the fire with assistance from the Massachusetts Air National Guard, which conducted aerial water drops via helicopter.

Other significant fires currently ongoing are located at Moose Meadow in Montgomery, stretching 60 acres, Bradway in Monson with 44 acres and Cain Hill in Salem, with 140 acres.

At least one person in Massachusetts has died as a result of the fires. In Connecticut, which has also seen an outbreak of fires, a firefighter was killed in October trying to extinguish a blaze just south of Hartford.

Communities can help prevent the spread of fires by reporting to their local fire department if they see one, Davine said, as well as municipalities passing “burn bans” to restrict the setting of fires outside to curb the possibility of one starting.

In a statement put out on Monday morning, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also urged residents to refrain from outdoor activities involving open flames or sparks. She also thanked those who were working to put out the current blazes.

“I especially want to thank the firefighters who have been battling these fires, very often for days at a time and across the state from their homes and families,” Healey stated. “We have seen truly remarkable efforts from our fire service. Let’s support them by using caution and common sense out there.”

In addition, the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts on Sunday recommended that all local fire chiefs deny any fire-related permit requests and work with local officials to enforce prohibitions of recreational fire activity.

“The number and nature of these incidents pose a grave risk to our personnel and the communities we serve,” said association president Michel Kelleher. “Beyond the direct hazard posed by an out-of-control wildland fire, every firefighter battling a preventable outdoor fire is a firefighter who cannot respond to an unrelated structure fire, motor vehicle crash, medical call, or other emergency.”