On Friday, the National Weather Service declared a “red flag” warning Large parts of eastern Massachusetts are at high risk of fire. The service asked people not to cook outside.

Fires continue to burn after about 200 wildfires were reported in October — 1,200 percent more than the 15 that typically occur that month, the state said.

According to the Globe weather team, the weather forecast shows little chance of rain, meaning conditions will not improve even with cooler weather.

Many of the fires reported earlier in the week – some of which are still burning – occurred primarily in the eastern third of the state, blanketing Boston in a smoky haze earlier this week as Jakes battled blazes, including large wildfires north of Boston.

Two of the largest fires still burning are on Cain Hill near Salem and Lynn, where 140 acres burned and the fire was only 50 percent contained as of Friday. According to the state Friday, a Middleton Pond fire burned 188 acres and was 70 percent contained.

The state said several factors are contributing to fueling the flames: the persistent dry, windy weather; a new blanket of freshly fallen leaves ready to burn; and of course people. Human activity appears to be the cause of essentially all of these fires, the state said.

Some observers view this as part of changing patterns and rising temperatures due to climate change. Boston has recorded just 2.30 inches of rain since September 1, making it the second driest fall ever. It is more than 5 inches behind its fall average and the city Is what the National Weather Service described as a “severe drought.”

High pressure driving away rainstorms is expected to continue southeast of New England through the next week.

Officials said Saturday they have repeatedly activated the “Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan” to bring local firefighters and equipment from across the commonwealth to major fires. The state has also deployed drone units, all-terrain vehicles and rehabilitation trucks.

Richard MacKinnon Jr., president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts union, said Saturday that the unusual past few weeks have been stressful for his members. The tricky part, he said, is the fact that the fires are closer to developed areas than in the past, leaving city departments like Salem to contend with the wildfires and their normal calls. This is part of a trend where these types of fires are becoming more common.

“We see it getting worse every year,” he said in an interview on Saturday.

MacKinnon was on the phone as he prepared to work at his fire station in Whitman. They're not fighting a wildfire there, in the suburbs south of Boston, but they're preparing to help as part of a South Shore task force. The department is asking firefighters to pick up overtime to make up for those who have to leave.

“Firefighters – we will move forward and respond,” MacKinnon said.

Sean Cotter can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cotterreporter.