A fire threatening Canberra's southern suburbs has been downgraded early Sunday. Fire crews said it was no longer at emergency level as temperatures fell back from heatwave highs and rain was forecast. Authorities of the Australian Capital Territory said firefighters have worked through the night to contain the bushfires. Since Thursday, the territory had been under a state of emergency – the first in 17 years – after intense hot weather and strong winds fanned the flames. Airplanes have been releasing fire retardant in an effort to slow the spread of the blaze.