A huge fireball ripped through buildings in Sydney on Saturday - forcing hundreds of firefighters to rush to the scene to tackle the inferno.
In total, more than 200 firefighters had to be called in to contain the blaze after it engulfed a waste facility in the city's west.
Dramatic images of the fireball were released by fire chiefs, with flames seen spiralling up to 150 metres into the sky above the facility in North St Marys as flames took hold at around 11pm (midday, GMT).
Fire and Rescue NSW said a large chemical tank was blown into the air, while fist-sized chunks of concrete blocks rained down on dozens of emergency personnel during the explosion.
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Two firefighters suffered minor injuries to their hands at the height of the emergency, FRNSW said.
More than 50 fire units were forced to battle the flames from all sides.
Firefighters set up "determined lines of defence" from holes blown out of neighbouring buildings.
Five aerial platforms were set up to try and extinguish the flames from above, while fire engines pumped in water to help dampen the blaze.
Dramatic images of the fireball were released by fire chiefs, with flames seen spiralling up to 150 metres into the sky
|FIRE AND RESCUE NSW
Hazmat teams also had to be called in in order to deal with the chemicals consumed in the fire.
"There's been some amazing firefighting going on," Fire Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said.
"This is as big as fires get. Particularly the scale of that explosion, people will be talking about that for a long time."
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In total, more than 200 firefighters had to be called in to contain the blaze
|FIRE AND RESCUE NSW
It is not yet known what caused the fire, which is expected to burn for most of the day - though authorities have already confirmed it is one of the largest fires seen in western Sydney for years.
The explosion was so loud that it was heard some miles away in Penrith.
The fire is expected to rage on through most of Sunday.
PICTURED: Columns of black smoke billow out over the facility after the initial 'firework' blast
|FIRE AND RESCUE NSW
Police have also launched a probe into the blaze.
"A 200m exclusion zone has been established and motorists are urged to avoid the area," a NSW Police statement said.
Residents living nearby, meanwhile, have been ordered to stay indoors and close their windows, doors and vents to avoid coming into contact with the smoke.
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