Red flag warning issued for "critical fire weather conditions" in Massachusetts Wednesday

BOSTON - Almost all of Massachusetts will be under a red flag warning from 8 a.m. to 6 pm. on Wednesday, the National Weather Service declared , as conditions will make it harder to put out brush fires burning in the state.

What is a Red Flag warning?

"A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly," the National Weather Service said. "Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish."

Outdoor burning is not recommended during a red flag warning, the agency said.

All Massachusetts counties are included in the warning, except for Berkshire County in the western part of the state.

Weather forecast for Massachusetts

The Boston area is experiencing severe drought as a result of a long dry spell. Temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be in the high 70s and could be the warmest on record for early November.

The dry weather combined with winds gusting up to 30 mph mean any outdoor fires could get out of control quickly.

Brush fires in Massachusetts

Hundreds of acres in the state have been burned by brush fires in the past week. A nearly 200-acre fire was burning in Middleton Tuesday, prompting the fire department to issue a temporary ban on using open flames or other ignition devices outdoors until further notice.