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Massachusetts witnessed at least 186 wildfires in October alone.

As forest fires flare up throughout Massachusetts Fire crews have been working day and night to extinguish the flames in recent days.

In an average year, fewer than 20 wildfires are reported in Massachusetts in October, state Fire Marshal’s Office spokesman Jake Wark told Boston.com.

There were at least 186 in the state this October.

“This is a surprising increase, especially considering that the usual fire season is spring, from March to May,” Wark said.

“These fires will burn emissions, which causes challenging control issues for firefighters trying to put them out,” Dave Celino, fire chief for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, told Boston.com. “So we’re going to see more long-lasting events.”

As of Wednesday evening, there were nine active wildfire incidents in Massachusetts in Salem, Middleton, Canton, Devens, Wilmington, Holden and North Andover, according to a briefing from DCR.

Fire Services Department in question The state faces increased risk of bush fires. As of Wednesday evening, 120 brush fires totaling about 450 acres have been reported across Massachusetts over the past few days, Wark said.

‘Physically challenging’

Salem Fire Department Lt. Ryan Riley said even after showering twice, he still “smelled like a fire pit” following firefighting efforts at the site. Salem wildfiresThe fire, which burned more than 100 acres this week, was so large that many in the area reported: smell the smoke.

“Wildfires are extremely dangerous, and if you don’t turn your head, you can quickly find yourself in a very dangerous situation,” he told Boston.com. “The fire spreads both above our heads and under our feet without us even knowing.”

Fighting a wildfire is both “physically and mentally” challenging for a team of structural firefighters accustomed to fighting building fires, Riley said.

“It’s a different ball game out there,” he said.

The gear firefighters wear weighs between 50 and 175 pounds, Riley said.

“The outside of our bunker gear is physically demanding because it is designed to protect us from the heat inside buildings, not so good for walking through leaves and forest underbrush,” he said.

meeting fire

Salem firefighter Sean Hebert said wildfires tend to “move quickly.”

“The fire may be taller than you,” he told Boston.com. “It’s a pretty wild place.”

Fire Capt. Billy Cross at the Saugus Fire Department told Boston.com that to stop the fire, crews had to spray 100 gallons of water per minute into the ground to burrow the fire.

“There’s no easy or clean way to do this,” he said. “This is really dirty business.”

Beverly Fire Chief Peter O’Connor described the work as “frustrating” at times.

“The fire is burning underground, and when you take out a piece of it, it will show up maybe 100 feet away,” he told Boston.com. “But part of the job is you have to work it out.”

Wark said weather conditions played a “significant role” in the week’s fire activity.

“Fall is the time of year when dead leaves and vegetation provide significant amounts of ground fuel,” he said. “We’ve had an unusually dry season with very little rainfall, so these fuels are very susceptible to ignition.”

Wark said recent high temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions have contributed to increased fire risks. Nearly all outdoor fires start with human activities, such as outdoor cooking, unattended campfires or electrical equipment that can ignite dry vegetation, he said.

long hours

Many Salem firefighters work additional hours throughout the week, Hebert said.

Salem firefighters are typically on duty 24 hours a day, followed by 24 hours off.

Hebert said he worked an extra 14 hours; This means it works for 38 hours straight.

“There’s not a lot of sleep in the firehouse,” said Riley, who is also president of the Salem Massachusetts Firefighters Local 172 union. “We had a lot of people who went above and beyond.”

O’Connor, the Beverly chief, said many outside crews are coming in to assist with work in high-need locations in addition to normal business hours.

“It’s a lot for someone to do, especially if you’re traveling an hour in the morning, traveling an hour to get home at night, and coming back early the next morning to do the same job again,” he said.

O’Connor said most firefighters work “endless hours.”

“It’s dirty, they’re tired, they’re hungry, they just want to rest,” he said. “But they know the mission is to put out the fire.”

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Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news boston.comCovering breaking news, crime and politics in New England.

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