AT least 13 firefighters have been injured as an out-of-control bushfire continues to burn in the northeastern Adelaide Hills.

Dozens of homes are feared to have been destroyed by a raging bushfire that continues to sweep through the northeastern Adelaide Hills near Kersbrook and Gumeracha.

The blaze has burnt about 11,000 hectares so far and continues to threaten multiple Hills communities in what the CFS says are some of the worst fire conditions since Ash Wednesday.

At least five houses are confirmed to have been lost but CFS state co-ordinator Brenton Eden says the final number will be “well in excess” of that figure. The number of properties lost will not be officially updated until Sunday as damage assessment teams are yet to enter many parts of the fire ground.

Mr Eden said crews would continue to fight the fire “all night and for days to come”.

“The conditions this evening are much better than they were earlier today,” he said.

“(But) we’re seeing the weather returning to warm and windy conditions later this week.

“We will be here for weeks, not days.”

The CFS says residents in the northern and outer northern suburbs of Adelaide may be experiencing an increase in smoke through their areas.

This is because of cooling conditions, which is causing smoke from the fire to drop and spread across a larger area.

Motorists in particular are advised to exercise caution on roads, and residents are advised to keep doors and windows closed, particularly those who may suffer respiratory or cardiac conditions.

The smokey conditions are likely to remain over the northern suburbs for at least the next 24 hours.

CFS night shift incident coordinator Mark Thomason said the two main areas of concern overnight would be fire heading southwest near Inglewood and northeast near Williamstown.

“The risk is it’s going to get into the Hale and Warren conservation parks,” he said.

“That’s the biggest concern and biggest risk because it could burn for a few days. We’re going to gain more intelligence (about the fire fronts) overnight.”

He said the other major risk was falling trees.

He said residents would not be allowed to return to their homes until areas had been assessed and cleared of dangerous trees.

“We’re getting significant trees falling - a few firefighters have been injured by falling trees,” he said.

A total of 13 CFS firefighters have been confirmed as suffering injuries battling the blaze, from smoke inhalation, wrist injuries and minor burns

About 300 firefighters will continue to battle the blaze overnight, with reinforcements coming in from New South Wales and Victoria.

Earlier, dozens of pets died after the fire tore through the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennel and Cattery.

However, CFS crews managed to rescue some of the cats and dogs.

The town of Gumeracha came under ember attack and fire approached within 100m of Gumeracha Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Incorrect reports that the Big Rocking Horse at Gumeracha was destroyed have flooded social media, but an Advertiser news team saw the tourist attraction apparently undamaged at 3.30pm.

SA Water says supplies are running low and have asked all Adelaide Hills residents not in the fire danger zone to minimise their water use for the rest of the day.

SA Water senior manager of network operations Steve Rose urged residents not to use water for things like watering lawns or washing cars while the bushfires remain a threat.

Police Commissioner Gary Burns has declared the bushfire a major emergency. The declaration — which will remain in force for 14 days — enables authorised officers to utilise a range of powers not normally available to them, such as forced evacuations.

There were also unconfirmed reports that a CFS truck may have been destroyed, although its crew were safe.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for areas to the north and east of Adelaide, saying severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds with gusts in excess of 90km/h over the next several hours. Strong and locally damaging southwest to southerly winds, unassociated with thunderstorms and averaging 55-65km/h, are also forecast to affect parts of the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Whyalla, Renmark, Marla, Coober Pedy, Roxby Downs and Leigh Creek.

Severe thunderstorms are no longer occurring in the Yorke Peninsula, Upper South East and Lower South East districts and the warning for these districts has been cancelled

However, wind speeds on the fire ground at 7pm were in the vicinity of 30-45km/h.

Premier Jay Weatherilltoday urged Hills residents to make an early decision about whether to stay in their homes or leave.

“Your lives are at risk and we are asking you to implement your bushfire survival plans,” Mr Weatherill said.

“If you decide to leave you should leave immediately.

“If you have decided to stay the fire could become incredibly scary and it could make you change your mind and leave. It could be a catastrophic decision to leave late.”

The fire — which started on Friday afternoon at Sampson Flat — wreaked havoc as it spread towards Kersbrook before swinging back towards One Tree Hill, Greenwith and Golden Grove overnight.

The fire, which almost reached Greenwith, then turned back towards One Tree Hill and Kersbrook when winds changed.

CFS state co-ordinator Brenton Eden said on Saturday morning that the fire would present massive challenges as the day unfolded, with winds shifting and more hot temperatures expected.

Winds in the fire region were initially forecast to reach up to 110km/h today — and dry lightning strikes expected in the afternoon — and Mr Eden said this meant the Adelaide Hills faced its most catastrophic fire danger day since the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.

“Conditions will worsen, they will not get better,’’ Mr Eden said.

A wind change from an easterly to northerly direction has caused the fire to burn in numerous directions, causing smoke to blanket large parts of metropolitan Adelaide. The winds later shifted direction to westerly and southwesterly, adding to the difficulty fire crews faced in predicting its path.

Early indications are the fire may have been sparked by the use of an incinerator.

Asked who would use an incinerator on a day of catastrophic fire conditions and 44C temperatures, Mr Eden said: “Someone who is going to regret it.”

Our pictures: Adelaide Hills bushfire media_camera Hot work ... Members of the NSW Rural Fire Service Strike team do a control burn under Union Bridge at Cudlee Creek. Picture: Dylan Coker 1 of 61 media_camera A water bomber drops on a flare-up at Cudlee Creek . Picture: Dylan Coker 2 of 61 media_camera A shed, car and rainwater tank were destroyed when the fire hit Craig Oswald’s Bagshaw Rd property at Kersbrook. 3 of 61 media_camera NSW Rural Fire Service Strike team volunteer Megan Fishbourne, 26, takes a break under the shade of Union Bridge in Cudlee Creek. Picture: Dylan Coker 4 of 61 nav_small_close Want to see more?( 57 more photos in collection )Continue to full gallery nav_small_left nav_small_right

CFS 9PM EMERGENCY WARNING

SAMPSON FLAT FIRE

CFS advises that a serious bushfire is burning out of control at Sampson Flat in the Mount Lofty Ranges near One Tree Hill, Humbug Scrub, Millbrook Reservoir, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Birdwood and Mount Crawford Forrest.

The SAMPSON FLAT fire is travelling in a very erratic manner and is burning freely in all direction towards Upper Hermitage, Chain of Ponds, the Warren and Cromer areas and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cuddlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Forreston, Lobethal, Mount Torrens, Charleston, Williamstown, Woodside, Lenswood, Mt Pleasant. There is a risk to lives and homes.

The uncontrolled fire is burning in Scrub.

Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan. Take shelter before the fire arrives as radiant heat can kill you well before the flames reach you.

Only leave if the path is clear to a safe place.

You should not enter this area as the roads may not be safe.

Homes that are situated and constructed or modified to withstand a bushfire, and that are prepared to the highest level and actively defended, may provide safety.

Stay tuned to ABC Local Radio on a battery-powered radio for updates.

For information about bushfires, check the CFS website www.cfs.sa.gov.au or call the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362 361.

media_camera Lauren Hartley and Sue Moore, both from the Virginia CFS brigade, have been fighting the Sampson Flat bushfire. Picture: Tait Schmaal

FORCED TO FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES

Among those forced to flee their homes was Ingrid Justice and her daughter Jessica.

Ms Justice has run the Humbug Scrub animal rescue shelter for almost 40 years but said she had never seen anything like this fire.

“We have lots of fires but never like this, we’ve never had to evacuate before,” she said.

“Apparently it’s like a war zone up there, the CFS tells us.”

Ms Justice said she was told to evacuate the property late on Friday.

“About four o’clock I got told to leave so I grabbed some animals but there is a lot still up there,” she said.

Ms Justice said she had no idea of the fate of about 600 kangaroos, emus and birds which were cared for at the shelter.

She said the mood was uncertain and described the situation as doom and gloom.

“We haven’t had any sleep yet. We had no water until this morning,” she said.

“We had no food. We found some garlic bread in the fridge but we’re not really hungry.”

media_camera A CFS map of the fireground as at 4.30pm Saturday.

SA Ambulance Service has confirmed that it treated six patients on Friday night and Saturday morning, most of them believed to be Country Fire Service volunteers.

Among those to be injured were a man, 20, who was taken to Lyell McEwin Hospital from the Kersbrook CFS station with breathing difficulties.

A man, 68, who fell from a fire truck was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment of a head laceration.

A man, 48, was treated on scene at Kersbrook CFS station for dehydration. Another man, 20, was also treated there for heat exhaustion.

A woman, 30, was treated at One Tree Hill CFS station for breathing difficulties. A man was also treated there for dehydration.

media_camera A shed burns on Kersbrook Rd, Kersbrook. Picture: Campbell Brodie

FIREFIGHTING INCIDENTS FROM OVERNIGHT

Power has been cut to a large number of properties in the Kersbrook area, which has been threatened by the fire since a few hours after it started.

The wind change initially eased pressure on firefighters tackling the fire on its western flank near Greenwith.

Mr Eden said the fire was burning out of control as efforts to fight it during the night had been thwarted by difficult terrain.

“I don’t think we’ve ever forecast a fire coming from the north like this,” he said.

“We are going to face a horrendous day where we are not going to be in charge of this fire.

“The modelling that was done for us last night, about 4.30pm, this just looks like a spider has walked all over this page. And they were correct. Everywhere they said the fire would go, it has.”

Mr Eden told 891 ABC Adelaide that the fire, which started near Sampson Flat, had become like a “Catherine wheel” because of the changing weather conditions.

media_camera Firefighters restock water at the Humbug Scrub fire. Picture: Tom Huntley

The fire initially headed south towards Kersbrook before a new flank opened on its western side, pushing it rapidly towards Greenwith and Golden Grove.

The wind shift from the east to the north had taken the immediate risk away from the northeastern suburbs but MFS strike teams would remain in the area.

“It’s good news for the Greenwith section because it will drive the fire away from that area,” he said.

However, the fire remained a very real threat to other parts of the Adelaide Hills.

A police helicopter had spotted numerous hot spots and witnessed the fire jumping Kersbrook Rd.

The CFS urged people during the night to stay away from Greenwith, with the fire coming within 2km from the suburb.

Earlier, homes were destroyed and firefighters injured as the fire neared Kersbrook.

A shed burnt down near Kersbrook. At least one house lost as the fire continues to burn out of control @abcnews pic.twitter.com/lXU1LFMqyv — Alina Eacott (@AlinaEacott) January 2, 2015

The night view of #Tantanoola fire - glowing. Let's hope the wind does not pick up tonight pic.twitter.com/jDpRh6bpvx — Hilary Goode (@HJGoode) January 2, 2015

At Devil’s Gully Rd, Kersbrook, Dave Miller, 60, fled as his home of 30 years and three vehicles burned to ashes about 3.30pm as CFS crews passed nearby.

He and his neighbour, Jim, escaped with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

Mr Miller said he made sure he grabbed his faithful dog before driving to safety. They had left Jim’s house as the flames raced across a paddock at frightening speed.

“We had to get out of (Jim’s) place because the fire was coming out of the forest,’’ Mr Miller said. “We pulled up (at my house) and I pulled the hose out because part of my eaves were burning and the next thing all the bloody windows blew out.

“I couldn’t get back in the house to get my keys because of the black smoke so we just got out of there.’’

Despite his losses, he remained optimistic. “We’ll rebuild. There’s a lot of people worse off than me,’’ he said.

The fire was fanned by gusty winds, which changed direction about 7.30pm on Friday night, increasing fire activity.

Temperatures above 40C, low humidity and steep terrain created difficult conditions on the fire ground.

Adelaide Hills bushfire reader photos media_camera Picture: Ben Goode 1 of 65 media_camera Picture: Malcolm Brown 2 of 65 media_camera Picture: Lyle Muegge 3 of 65 media_camera Picture: John-Paul Parker 4 of 65 nav_small_close Want to see more?( 61 more photos in collection )Continue to full gallery nav_small_left nav_small_right

OTHER BLAZES IN SOUTH-EAST AND MID-NORTH

A second fire at Tantanoola, in the South-East had posed a threat to property but was downgraded to “watch and act” advice.

The fire at Tantanoola started near Mile Hill Rd just before 2.30pm and spread rapidly, fanned by strong winds.

About 175 CFS volunteers and Forestry SA personnel were continuing to battle the blaze on Thursday night, which had burned about 500ha. There were no reported structural losses in the Tantanoolafire.

On Saturday morning, flare-ups and hot spots were increasing the amount of smoke produced by the South-East fire. Ground crews and fire bombing aircraft are actively working to contain the fire.

The threat posed by another fire near Hope Gap, north of Snowtown on the Augusta Hwy, has reduced.

TOTAL FIRE BANS ACROSS THE STATE

Total fire bans were issued for large parts of the state on Saturday but on Sunday, only two regions will be subjected to total fire bans and a bushfire risk rated as Severe— the Northwest Pastoral and Flinders regions.

On Friday, Adelaide’s temperature reached 44.1C just before 4.30pm.

Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Port Lincoln and Whyalla have all recorded temperatures over 43C. At Ceduna, the mercury hit 46.2C just before 3pm.

On Saturday, the mercury hit 38.2C in Adelaide and 44.3C at Whyalla — but only 27.7C at Ceduna.

In Victoria, a fast-moving fire on the Mornington Peninsula is threatening lives and homes.

Another fire on the edge of the Grampians has burned nearly 5000 hectares.