The warmest and driest weather in months is dampening plans to burn yard waste.

Norfolk County fire departments Wednesday were advised against issuing burning permits until significant rain falls, District Fire Warden Ben Martin said.

A statewide burning ban is possible if the dry weather continues, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation said.

This month marks the second-driest March in Southern New England since 1915, the National Weather Service in Taunton reported.

Just .39 inch of rain and melted snow has been recorded by the Attleboro Water Department this month. Showers are forecast for Saturday. However, less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Brush fires typically are a concern through late spring and early summer, depending on the weather. Permitted open burning ends on May 1.

Local firefighters have been chasing brush fires for most of the month.

`` From my perspective, they should shut them down until we get some moisture,'' Martin said of burning permits. `` I think people can safely burn, as long as it's not on a day when we have some wind.''

Statewide, 269 fires have occurred since late February, Martin said. The annual average is 75 fires.

`` This early in the year, that's a lot of fires,'' Martin said. `` The town fire departments have been jumping on these things quickly because they realize the potential.''

Wrentham Fire Chief Robert Morrill said Wrentham will not issue burning permits unless the weather on a given day is safe.

`` If we get wind, we'd be in a real deep pot,'' Morrill said. `` Until we get some rain, it's just too dangerous.''

Attleboro Fire Chief Ronald Churchill said brush fires `` tie up a lot of equipment'' and takes firefighters `` away from our main mission.''

Churchill said he will decide on a daily basis whether to issue burning permits. `` If it looks like people aren't going to be responsible, we're going to stop it,'' Churchill said.

Last year, the first statewide ban was in place for three days in mid-April.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation issued a public wildfire advisory Wednesday.

`` As we enter April, typically the month in which forest fire danger is the highest, this continued dry phase is of serious concern for the state's forest firefighters and community fire departments,'' state Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Stephen Burrington said in the advisory.

`` We urge visitors to state forests and parks to exercise the greatest caution while enjoying recreational pursuits and to be conscious of the dry conditions and wind when burning forestry debris,'' he said.

rdrtrdrsrdrw15rsp160 MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0372 or at mgelbwasser(at)(at)thesunchronicle.com.