A large amount of smoke is blowing across the road near North Dalton Park, with residents in a nearby apartment complex told to close their doors and windows. 

Firefighters have cut a hole in the truck as they work to extinguish its smouldering contents.

Andrew Barber, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said the truck’s hydraulic mechanism had been fried in the fire, meaning access was difficult.

“If we could open it [the back of the truck], we could put it out in five minutes,” he said.  

The truck was doing a kerbside pick-up of larger items when the fire broke out just before 3pm.

3pm: Firefighters are working to extinguish a blaze that broke out inside a garbage truck at Fairy Meadow’s North Dalton Park just before 3pm Wednesday.

Smoke is billowing from the truck despite firefighters putting a large amount of water and foam on it. 

Residents of a nearby apartment complex have been told to close their windows.

The Remondis truck driver is unharmed.

The Mercury understands a hydraulic mechanism on the truck has failed meaning the rubbish can not be unloaded.

Instead, the truck is acting as an incinerator and this is prolonging the firefighting effort.

Water is being pumped from the creek lining North Dalton Park car park and firefighters have also used foam on the blaze.

Because it’s been allowed to burn, there are visible scorch marks appearing on the side of the truck.

More to come