South Australia has escaped largely unscathed after a worrying day of severe bushfire risk amid high temperatures and strong winds, but police are investigating one suspicious blaze.
The Country Fire Service quickly contained a number of fires on Wednesday, including a grass fire on Eyre Peninsula and another at Crafers, in the Adelaide Hills.
Just before 4pm emergency services were called to a fire near the South Eastern Freeway, about 200m east of the Mount Osmond turn off.
Firefighters brought it quickly under control and police are now investigating.
Late in the day crews also responded to a fire at at the Jeffries Soils facility at Buckland Park in Adelaide's north in large piles of compost.
"This fire is expected to burn throughout the night and may produce large amounts smoke," the CFS warns.
"Residents in the area are advised to stay indoors and shut all doors and windows. There is a small risk that this fire may escape and result in a grass fire."
The fires came as temperatures across the city climbed to 36C and into the high 30s in some regional centres.
That gave Adelaide its fourth day in a row above 33C, a record for April.
At one stage a watch and act message was issued for the Eyre Peninsula blaze which was burning out of control at Mangalo, towards the Yeldulknie Conservation Park.
Severe conditions were declared for nine South Australian districts on Wednesday with extreme conditions expected in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
The CFS said the conditions were as bad as could be expected so late in the fire season.
But the Bureau of Meteorology said a cool change would move across the state and bring temperatures down to the mid-20s on Thursday.
Rain was forecast for the next five days although the CFS said it was unlikely to be enough to significantly reduce the bushfire risk.
