FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (WPRI) — Fairhaven firefighters knocked down a fire believed to have spread to a home and shed from a nearby fire pit Monday afternoon. The Fairhaven Fire Department received reports of black smoke billowing from an Ebony Street property just after noon. Firefighters pulled up and noticed that the fire had spread across the property to include a shed filled with lawn equipment, a 20-pound propane tank, an attached deck and the home itself. (Courtesy: Fairhaven Fire Department) (Courtesy: Fairhaven Fire Department) The resident escaped the house uninjured and firefighters were able to rescue a cat from inside. The home sustained significant damage, according to the fire department, and the flames were traced back to a fire pit on the property. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection generally prohibits outdoor burning statewide between Jan. 15 and May 1. Right now, Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' Jake Wark said more than 200 cities and towns have issued their own burn bans due to the dangerously dry conditions. "Every firefighter battling a preventable wildfire is one who can’t respond to a house fire, car crash, or medical emergency," Wark said. "We won't be out of the woods until we have a few days of steady, soaking rain that gets past the surface fuels and deep into the ground." The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services reported that the Commonwealth saw a 1,200% increase in brush fires last month alone. Wark said the state has already seen approximately 392 brush fires this month. That number is expected to climb, with more than half of the state experiencing severe drought conditions. "The fires in this unprecedented fall fire season have burned more than 1,700 acres – exceeding the acreage that burned in all of 2023," Wark added. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Pinpoint Weather 12 Today SIGN UP NOW