Canberra, Jan 19 (AHN) Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to contain an out-of-control grass fire that is threatening lives and homes south of Adelaide in the state of South Australia.

The fire started near the small town of Tooperang, 50 km south of Adelaide, on Sunday afternoon, and had burned around 650 hectares of grass and scrub, said the Country Fire Service (CFS).

Residents of Tooperang and the nearby town of Nangkita were on Sunday night told to evacuate immediately, but the emergency warning was downgraded on Monday, with residents instead told to prepare to leave, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Take action now as this bushfire may threaten your safety," the warning issued by the CFS said.

It said that the fire was burning in a southerly direction towards Nangkita and the townships of Mount Jagged and Mosquito Hill, which had a combined population of around 600 people at the time of the 2021 national census.

More than 200 volunteer firefighters from the CFS supported by over 60 trucks worked through Sunday night to try and prevent the spread of the fire.

CFS fire trucks and firefighters supported by, South Australian Police and South Australian Ambulance Service will continue to work to reduce the spread of the fire and limit the impact to the local community. Crews will continue to work throughout the day to extinguish the fire.

CFS officer Ben Pettman told the ABC that shifting winds forecast for Monday would cause the fire to change directions at short notice.