Fire season has hit NSW in ferocious fashion, with more than 100 firefighters battling a massive blaze engulfing a Sydney car wrecking yard and over 30 bushfires burning across the state.
The car yard fire, at Mavis Street in Revesby, is burning out of control and at risk of spreading to adjoining properties fanned by strong winds, a Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) spokesman told The Huffington Post on Saturday.
An ambulance spokesman said paramedics had so far treated 1 man for burns while a number of others were being monitored for smoke inhalation.
#BREAKING: Fire fighters are battling a blaze at a car wrecking yard in Revesby. #9Newspic.twitter.com/DNGqbs38nR
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) November 5, 2016
FRNSW said 2 buildings at the yard have been destroyed in what it described as an "intense" blaze at the site, with lots of smoke billowing from the yard.
REVESBY | #FRNSW Crews responding to numerous 000 calls to a fire in a car wrecking yard
— Fire & Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) November 5, 2016
REVESBY | UPDATE: #FRNSW at large car wrecking yard well alight. Mavis St. Fire ops underway. Large volumes of smoke in area.
— Fire & Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) November 5, 2016
FRNSW said more than 100 firefighters and 20 trucks were at the scene.
The yard was "well alight" and conditions were challenging because of strong winds and a big fuel load for the fire to feed on at the site, the agency said.
"This is a very serious fire, very volatile," FRNSW Commissioner Greg Mullins told reporters at the scene. "This fire is still spreading ... it's quite a desperate battle."
He said 4 homes in the area had been evacuated in anticipation that a 30 kilogram LPG gas cylinder would soon explode at the scene.
Meanwhile, homes have come under threat from a bushfire burning at Castle Cove in Sydney's north. Crews are currently at the scene working to bring the blaze under control. A watch and act alert is in place for the fire. It has reportedly come within metres of homes
#NSWRFS & #FRNSW fighting a fire at Castle Cove. A Skycrane is being sent to assist firefighters on the ground. pic.twitter.com/Go79dWN9s5
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 5, 2016
The Castle Cove fire is one of more than 30 blazes burning across NSW on Saturday as the much of the state experiences hot conditions and gusty winds.
Saturday's outbreaks come as large swathes of Australia head into bushfire season, with authorities warning residents to be prepared.
NSWRFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said even city residents should know how to stay fire-safe over summer.
"What is amazing is people still today are surprised when fires occur on the landscape," Shepherd recently told HuffPost Australia.
"We live in some of the most bushfire-prone land in the world. What we need to recognise, as well as on those bad days, is you need to take responsibility for yourself. Preparation is key because we can't guarantee a firetruck for every home."