By John Schwing

WESTPORT — With heavy rain expected to move across the region starting Wednesday night, fire officials say an “extreme fire danger” is still in effect.

All open burning outdoors remains banned in Westport, fire officials said, including fire pits, camp fires, debris, brush or leaf pile burning, and “chimineas” and other outdoor flame devices.

Violators run the risk of sparking a brush fire, and officials warn, possible legal consequences.

From Oct. 1 to Nov. 15,  there have been 226 fires reported statewide, with nine out of 10 wildfires caused by human activity, fire officials said.

The weeks-long extremely dry conditions, which fuel fire risks, have prompted state officials to issue a “Stage 2” drought advisory, which “could potentially impact water supplies, agriculture or natural ecosystems. It is the second of five levels under the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, with Stage 1 being the lowest and Stage 5 the most extreme.”

Westport Fire Marshal Terrence Dunn urges residents not to be complacent about the potential dangers.

“Every time someone ignores the outdoor burning ban, they’re putting lives, homes, and natural resources at risk,” he said in a statement. “These reckless actions stretch our firefighting resources and increase the chance of a devastating wildfire in our community. We all need to do our part to prevent avoidable disasters.”

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is warning about a dramatic shift in weather conditions expected to envelope the region Wednesday through Friday.

In a “Coastal Flood Advisory,” the NWS forecast forecasts that heavy rain, and possibly a thunderstorm, is expected to start Wednesday night and by Thursday “up to one foot of inundation above ground level expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline.”

Rain is expected to fall throughout Thursday and possibly into Friday, with total precipitation measuring several inches over the three-day span, according to the weather service.

Dried-out ground conditions may contribute to heavier run-offs than usual.

Wednesday’s daytime high temperature is expected to reach the upper-50s under mostly sunny skies, with clouds and rain moving in overnight.

Rain, with the potential for thunderstorms, is expected throughout Thursday, with a daytime high temperature in the low-50s.

On Friday, there remains a 40 percent chance of  rain while the high temperature reaches only to the mid-40s under cloudy skies, according to the weather service.