Red flag warning in effect; risk of brush fires is up thanks to warm, dry and windy weather

Brush fires reported in Lynn and Saugus

Brendan Regan, a DCR Wildland Firefighter, worked to put out a fire at the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Tuesday morning.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

A red flag warning was in effect Tuesday due to critical fire weather conditions across Massachusetts and the rest of southern New England.

The National Weather Service issued the warning for Connecticut, most of Rhode Island (except for Block Island), and Massachusetts (with the exception of Cape Cod and the Islands), advising residents to “be extra cautious” with any open flame or heat source outdoors.

“Lack of rain, full sunshine, warm temps & gusty conditions today will elevate the risk for brush fires to develop,” the weather service posted on Twitter. “Because of the dry conditions today, BE VERY CAREFUL handling any ignition sources outdoors, such as matches and cigarettes.”

The warning came as firefighters have been battling brush fires in Lynn and Saugus. Fires were reported Tuesday in other Massachusetts communities, including Stoughton.

On Monday, the Lynn Fire Department worked with State Police and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to conduct helicopter water drops on a fire in the Lynn Woods.

“A reminder all trails in the northern part of Lynn Woods are closed till further notice,” the Lynn Fire Department posted on Facebook on Monday.

Brush fires were also reported at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, according to the Saugus Firefighters Local 1003 Facebook page.

“Ongoing brush fires in Breakheart Reservation from last night continuing into today creating a smoke condition throughout the town,” firefighters wrote Tuesday.

On Tuesday, a brush fire was reported in Stoughton in the woods behind Michael Lane at around 4:45 p.m., said Stoughton Fire Captain Buddy O’Neil in a phone interview Tuesday evening.

The brush fire burned about two acres and was under control, but crews were still on scene Tuesday evening extinguishing hotspots, he said. The wind, he added, was a challenge and blew some of the flames, but crews extinguished the flames before a truck got damaged.

Companies from Sharon, Canton, Easton, and Avon also responded, and there were no injuries, O’Neil said.

James Kontoules, a DCR Wildland Firefighter, worked to extinguish a fire in the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. Parts of Breakheart Reservation in Saugus have been closed. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Parts of Breakheart Reservation in Saugus have been closed. A red flag warning is in effect due to critical fire weather conditions across the state and southern New England.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning due to critical fire weather conditions across southern New England.National Weather Service

Correspondent Matt Yan contributed to this report.