AUBURN, Mass. - Most of the state is experiencing a moderate to a severe drought and conditions aren't improving, so the Auburn Fire Department is warning people about brush fire concerns.

Crews responded to a brush fire off Pine Valley Drive in Auburn Tuesday. It began on the Providence and Worcester railroad tracks and spread.

Auburn Fire Captain Justin Brigham said drought conditions allow fires to start more easily and spread more rapidly. It can also allow them to burn deeper in the ground, making fires harder to contain and extinguish.

He encourages both homeowners and businesses to be vigilant this time of year to prevent fires.

"When we haven't had a mere fraction of an inch of rain in weeks, now you have to be hyperventilate around your homes and business,” said Brigham. “Cutting back brush and weeds from the parking lot, careful where you have mulch placed and smoking materials and smoking areas around that, especially commercial occupancies."

Brigham said when conditions are dry like this, firefighters need to use three times as much water as they would during a normal season.