Fire at Mobilong smothers Murray Bridge in smoke

This story may not be up to date; for the latest, visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au.

Firefighters have brought under control a fire on the riverfront at Mobilong, northeast of Murray Bridge.

The fire, near the end of Hutchinson Drive, started in willow trees and vegetation along the riverbank around 11.30am on Tuesday.

At its peak, about 20 firefighting units and seven aircraft were being used against it.

Many local firefighters had to rush out of the funeral of the late Roger Kilpatrick, a Country Fire Service life member with more than 44 years’ service, to attend.

During the middle of the day, smoke blocked out the sun and ash began falling across Murray Bridge's central business district.

Onlookers filled the Railway Terrace car park, Thiele Reserve and other vantage points, some having seen the smoke from as far away as Rockleigh.

By 1.30pm, all water-bombing aircraft had been called off.

The fire was contained by about 2.30, though some volunteers remained at the scene for a while longer.

Beware of smoke and don’t use drones, CFS warns

The CFS warned locals to beware of smoke in the air while the fire burned.

Symptoms of smoke exposure includes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, burning eyes, running nose, chest tightness, chest pain and dizziness or light-headedness.

If you or anyone in your care is having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention from your local GP.

If your symptoms become severe, call 000.

Murray Bridge’s CFS brigade also issued a warning on social media about onlookers using drones close to a fire.

“Please follow the rules when it comes to using your drone,” the brigade posted.

“We understand that footage of a fire looks good, but what's also good is air support for the ground crews.

“Firefighting aircraft cannot fly if a drone is spotted or active with the zone around the fire.”

• More information: For incident updates, visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au. For the rules about drone use, visit www.casa.gov.au/knowyourdrone.