Change a brief relief, but more bushfire danger looms COMMUNITIES on the edge of the Bangor fire in the southern Flinders Ranges are braced for a third week of sleepless nights, and many are ready to flee their homes again if peril looms. The fire, burning into its 16th day, continues to pose a threat to several communities, despite some respite from the weather, which saw the overnight temperature drop to a pleasant 18.8C at 6.30am this morning. Gusty and erratic winds forecast for the fireground had the Country Fire Service concerned about flare ups, but a milder change that arrived late yesterday with lighter winds was instead burning the blaze back on itself. The danger has not passed, however, as forecast temperatures in the high-30Cs and low-40Cs this week will maintain the risk. While today's top is expected to reach 33C in the metropolitan area, tomorrow it should be 37C, 40C on Friday, 41C on Saturday, 40C on Sunday and 39C on Monday, before dropping to the low 30s on Tuesday. CFS crew battle fires at the Wirrabara Forest. Picture: Mike Burton People in and near Napperby and Nelshaby, Beetaloo Valley, Stone Hut and Laura and Wirrabara remain on guard Napperby homeowners, who last week fled the town as the scrub fire turned towards them, say they are ready to do it again. Charmayne, a Napperby resident for 25 years, who did not wish to give her surname, left her home twice last week for Port Pirie at the height of the fire threat. She and partner, Bernie, said they knew six people who chose to leave town and they would go again if necessary. "I left just after midnight on Wednesday and stayed for a day or two with my daughter then came back, then I went again," Charmayne said. If the fire stays like it is, I don't think we'll have to leave this time. We're up most of the night just watching for changes. It's not the first bushfire I've been though. Fire advancing a property in the Southern Flinders Ranges near Wirrabara Forest and the Telowie Gorge. Teen CFS firefighter Josh Amos from Morphette Vale joins the battle in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Neighbours, a town "network" and the media are keeping Charmayne and Bernie informed about the movements of the fire while they maintain a watch-and-act position. But having a fire burning in the backyard since January 14 had pretty much taken over their lives, Bernie said. You're always concerned and worried, but we keep a watch on it and we go into Pirie and on to the wharf and look back at the fire at night when you can see it properly. That gives us a good idea about what's going on. The Bangor fire posed the greatest threat for the CFS yesterday as the mercury reached a high of 43C in Adelaide and went beyond 45C in other parts of the state. Strong winds also hit most parts of the state, peaking at 80km/h at Naracoorte just before 3pm. The Bangor fire, started by lightning just before 9pm on Tuesday, January 14, has blackened about 23,000ha of land, destroyed six houses and several sheds and outbuildings, as well as stock and fencing. Flames came within 200m of a home on the edge of the rolling hills just northeast of Napperby last week and to within about 500m yesterday of a neighbouring home owned by Sue and Brenton, who did not give their surname. Despite two weeks of constant, thick smoke billowing from the smouldering 2km fire front, Sue remains defiant and tended her three horses yesterday in the rear yard of her 100-year-old stone home near hills in the Wirrabara Forest. The couple, whose four adult daughters live away from home, have not evacuated their home of three years because they feel safe and protected by the dozens of ever-present CFS volunteer firefighters, Sue said. "We're good, absolutely good," she said. There are plenty of CFS (officers) here and they're doing a terrific job. We're in a good position here and there's plenty of ground between the (scrub) and our house so it gives the CFS a lot of ground to fight it if (spot fires) break out. The fire yesterday burned through stubble and native pine trees, which occasionally burst into flames leaping more than 10m high. Sue said she was prepared to "open a gate" and let the horses run if the fire turned back on the house. Helping to battle the persistent fire has cost the couple sleep, but being on leave from work had been "lucky" because they were able to keep in touch with events, Sue said. "I'm not frustrated, it's just the nature of the thing," she said when asked if having the fire burning for two weeks caused stress. "We haven't had a fire through here for such a long time, so the undergrowth has really built up," she said. "It's been almost two weeks (burning" but there's not much (firefighters) can do because there's no tracks through there so they can't really get to it." This week Adelaide is poised to record the highest number of days with temperatures above 40C in more than a century as the city bakes in hot conditions. Emergency services are again on high alert, with SA Health issuing warnings for the sizzling days ahead. Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Domenic Panuccio said the city had so far recorded a warmer than average January. Mr Panuccio said today's expected top of 33C was only "temporary relief."