AUTHORITIES have issued a health alert after Sydney became shrouded in an eerie thick blanket of smoke covering large parts of the city today.
The eerie scene were caused by large scale burn-off carried out by the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) in the Blue Mountains.
The smoke was especially thick on the harbour and was at one stage blanketing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
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The hazard reduction fires surround Sydney, ranging from Lithgow, Wentworth Falls, Glenbrook and Leumeah in the west, to Wyong in the north, and several controlled burns near Nowra.
Crews were taking advantage of today’s mild conditions before scheduled rain tomorrow.
In Sydney’s CBD, the smoke set off fire alarms prompting calls to local fire stations.
Low temperatures had caused the smoke to settle overnight according to the NSW Rural Fire Service on Twitter.
In Sydney’s west, the smoke that was hanging over the area on Friday night and Saturday morning had already started to drift east towards the coast.
The conditions were expected to clear throughout the morning, the Rural Fire Service said.
“The smoke has settled due to lower temps overnight. Should clear throughout the morning,” it says on its official Twitter feed.
The RFS released a warning, advising pet owners to keep animals in a protected area and drivers to keep their headlights on.
Anyone with health issues, such as asthma, should make sure to take their medication with them if leaving the house.
A full list of hazard reductions is available here.