At least 13 large, ongoing wildfires and bushfires burned across Massachusetts as the drought expanded across the state, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Fire Services.

One of the biggest active fires burned 126 acres at Mount Gilead in Lynn Woods Reservation as of Friday evening, DFS spokesperson Jake Wark wrote in an email on Saturday. Officials partially closed the park as the fire continued to spread south, Lynn Fire Department Acting District Chief Ed Miles said.

The Lynn Fire Department warned residents Friday evening that smoke from the fire at the popular tourist attraction would persist into Saturday, but said no structures are threatened by flames in a Facebook post.

Fires are forming across the state during a “critical” phase of the recent drought, which expanded from Boston to central and western Massachusetts, according to the US Drought Monitor. Eight counties, or about 32 percent of the state, face “severe drought” conditions due to a lack of significant rainfall in the last three months, as compared to 14 percent at the end of October.

Over the past week, 155 wildfires have burned 305 acres across Massachusetts, said Wark. These include 39 that began on Friday.

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Dry, gusty winds and low relative humidity during droughts elevate the risk that “any outdoor fire will spread and cause a wildfire that puts people and property in danger,” said Wark.

The other large fires include one at Cain Hill in the Salem and Lynn area that’s burned 140 acres, and another at Middleton Pond in Middleton that has harmed 180 acres.

“It’s important to remember that drought-induced fires like the ones we’ve been seeing for the past few weeks burn deep into the ground, too,” Wark said. “Fires burning six inches, a foot, or even more underground can be extremely difficult to extinguish or contain because they will continue to ignite falling leaves and allow fire to escape the perimeter.”

The National Weather Service in Norton extended its red flag warning for high fire danger in the region until 6 p.m., Saturday, cautioning that “any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.” Rhode Island and Connecticut also face an elevated risk of wildfires due to drought conditions.

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Many local fire departments have banned outdoor fires while the drought persists, including the North Reading Fire Department.