Emergency services converged on a property at Westwood Drive at Blackbutt on Wednesday after a resident's garage erupted in flames.
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Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the address at 11.24am Wednesday after neighbours reported a series of explosions.
A neighbour, John Finkernagel, told the Mercury: "I was in the bathroom and I was disturbed by an explosion - I wasn't sure if it was a gun or a bomb. There was smoke coming out of the garage ... there were paint tins exploding. It was quite dangerous to get close to the fire. I got a garden hose on it for a while but couldn't stop it."
"Two other fellas arrived with fire extinguishers. It just continued to grow. Once the firies got there, they put it out fairly quickly."
Fire and Rescue NSW's Insp Chad Wallace said firefighters quickly made sure the residents had evacuated. Six fire trucks and 30 firefighters responded to the emergency after residents made 10 separate calls to triple-0.
Crews were able to contain the blaze within 30 minutes, stopping it spreading to the house.
"The response was initially two trucks. En route, one of those trucks noticed a massive black smoke plume in the air. That, combined with the amount of triple-0 calls, saw the response escalated," Insp Wallace said.
Firefighters and police are now investigating what may have caused the blaze, but it is believed to have been at least partly fuelled by household chemicals kept in the garage.
"These are things you'd normally find in a home," Insp Wallace said.
"I suppose that's what happens when homeowners keep substantial quantities of chemicals in their home. It's always a reminder to be diligent about the amount you store."