Northern Illawarra residents have been warned to expect smoky skies as volunteer firefighters work to extinguish a bushfire burning at Maddens Plains on Tuesday afternoon.
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The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Illawarra District says the fire, first reported off the Princes Highway near the Boomerang Golf Course about 2.30pm, was about six hectares in size.
Eight fire appliances are on the scene, as well as a RFS commander. Crews are back-burning in an attempt to contain the fire.
RFS Illawarra Superintendent Greg Wardle said the fire was under control, as at 4.30pm, and not posing any threat to life or property.
However, Mr Wardle said motorists on the M1 Princes Motorway would likely see plenty of smoke.
"Residents will see, as the fire progresses, an increased level of smoke throughout the afternoon it'll be very visible from the M1 for people travelling home from Sydney," he said.
"Thankfully for the rain over the past week or so, the area's a little bit more moist than what we had in previous weeks so I don't anticipate any problems with this, other than there will be smoke over Otford, Darkes Forest and obviously Maddens Plains throughout the afternoon.
"Probably as the cooler air comes in tonight it'll settle that smoke down, so people will notice an increased level of smoke."
Smoke was also visible from Helensburgh on Tuesday afternoon.
A RFS fire investigator was heading to the scene. However, a fallen powerline is believed to have sparked the fire.
"There is a power line down in the middle of it ... so that will be our first line of investigation," he said.
"We suspect it's due to a power line coming down."