A swathe of dry fuel is feeding a bushfire north of Alice Springs, with flames jumping the NT-spanning Stuart Highway.
Northern Territory emergency services wrote that the fire was active near the roadside, and warned drivers crews would also be working in the area.
"Crews are still employing defensive tactics in order to control the fire," the NT's Fire Incident Map reported.
"Heavy smoke is affecting the Alice Springs Township and surrounding areas and those suffering from asthma or breathing ailments are advised to take precautions.
"For the safety of firefighting crews and other vehicles, drivers in the area are urged to slow down, turn on headlights and drive safely for the conditions."
Another bushfire, west of Alice Springs near Larapinta, posed a "decreasing threat".
The fires are feeding off a bank of vegetation that built up in recent years and dried out in the past few months, Weatherzone reported.
Fires to floods: Wild weather hits Australia's east-coast
Successive La Nina years promoted significant plant growth in the area.
But with the ongoing swing towards an anticipated El Nino, hotter and drier conditions in recent months left the region vulnerable.
Weatherzone warned that with no rain anticipated in the Red Centre in the near future, the fires were likely to continue to burn all week and perhaps longer.
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