“The emergency services have not yet secured the situation and expect the fire to spread during the morning,” Karin Dickens at Ale council told news agency TT.

The fire is described as comprehensive, covering an area of around 10 square kilometres.

By late on Saturday evening 33 people from 15 households had been evacuated as a result of the fires. They can not count on being able to come home on Sunday, according to Dickens.

No homes have as yet been damaged in the fires.

The emergency services will reinforce their team on Sunday morning after working through the night. As the sun rises and the day warms up the wind is expected to pick up and the fire is expected to spread.

“One can detect the smell of the fire. We have closed the ventilation system in the council buildings to keep out the smoke. It is not poisonous but we are encouraging residents to stay inside and keep their windows closed,” Karin Dickens said.

The council was inundated with telephone calls from local residents who have been concerned over the spread of the fire.

“They have seen the flames and thought that they were close, but they have often been further away than they realized.”

The council has encouraged evacuees that require assistance to approach the citizens advice bureau on Ale square in Nödinge.