The risk of brush fires in Connecticut is much greater due to recent dry and hot conditions, state officials said.

With leaves now on the ground, all it would take is a discarded cigarette or unattended campfire to spark a potentially massive fire.

"Most of the brush fires start due to a human factor," said Westport Fire Deputy Chief Matt Cohen. Last fall, the state experienced 605 brush fires that burned more than 500 acres, including multiple areas in Fairfield County and along the Merritt Parkway.

The most devastating fires were in central Connecticut where one firefighter died. "Some of the most important things to remember is how brush fires start,” said Cohen. “…Right now, what we're seeing is typical this time of year is an increased fuel load. The leaves are dropping, they're dry. We haven't had substantial rain in a while."

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says the southern half of the state is at the highest risk for fires.

The state says if you received a permit from your local open burning official to burn brush on your property, the permit is not valid if the forest fire danger is rated high as it is now.

Officials say the best thing to do is call 911 when you see a fire. There is rain in the forecast Wednesday but fire officials aren't sure it will make a huge difference because we are at such a deficit.