HUNTINGTON -- Meteorologists and firefighters are urging people to use extra precautions when burning in the region, and some are warning against burning altogether.

Abnormally dry conditions and sporadic brush fires are prompting the warnings. Fires were reported Wednesday in Wayne and Putnam counties.

The National Weather Service issued a warning Thursday suggesting that conditions could set the stage for brush fires later in the afternoon. No red flag warning was anticipated.

Wednesday's fire in Wayne County burned about 20 acres near Ft. Gay. A couple of structures were involved, according to Wayne County 911.

Crews battled one brush fire on Ventroux Road and the rekindle of another fire along Joyce Road, both in southeastern Putnam County. Emergency dispatchers say the Ventroux fire consumed about eight acres. The Joyce Road fire involved four acres earlier in the week, and it rekindled Wednesday.

Chris Franklin, deputy chief of the Huntington Fire Department, said crews have battled several small brush fires in the past two weeks within the city. Those incidents involved grassy fields and empty lots. He said something as small as a cigarette can ignite trouble because of the dry weather.

The area's last significant rainfall was Aug. 27, when remnants of Tropical Storm Fay provided more than an inch of rain.

Since then, the area has witnessed one-third of an inch of precipitation. That includes 0.05 of an inch of rain Sept. 6, and 0.01 of an inch on Sept. 11. No precipitation has been recorded since.

The dry spell, combined with deficits in July and August, reversed a 3.6 inch, above-average trend from June. The area's year-to-date rain gauge is now 1.61 inches below normal, as of Thursday morning.

The National Drought Mitigation Center classifies western Cabell County, southern Lincoln County and most of Wayne County as "abnormally dry." The classification crept north past southern Wayne County in mid-August.

The center states McDowell and Mercer counties are experiencing a moderate drought. Severe to extreme drought conditions are reported in western North Carolina and northern Tennessee.

Forecasters believe an upper level low from the Atlantic coast will bring clouds, light rain and cooler temperatures to the area through Saturday, especially in the state's eastern mountains.

That low pressure system will be followed by another dry spell. The next chance of rain will be the middle of next week.

West Virginia's outdoor burning ban starts next Wednesday. Burning is allowed only from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. The burning ban ends Dec. 31.

The current dry spell is the first time abnormally dry conditions approached the region since February. That's when the area recovered from an extreme drought that peaked in October 2007.

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