Two people are in hospital and a home has been gutted by fire near Cessnock today.
The blaze broke out just after 9am in the large single-story residence on Greta Street in Aberdare with more than 30 firefighters and 10 tankers responding to a wave of Triple Zero calls.
When emergency services arrived at the scene the house was well-alight and belching large volumes of smoke into the sky above.
While a number of residents had been able to self-evacuate, two others had to be rescued from the burning building by firefighters.
Crews quickly got to work to extinguish the inferno, but were forced to withdraw to a safer position after the roof collapsed.
By 11 o’clock, they had the fire under control and were mopping up hot spots with an aerial ladder pumper truck that provided access from above the property.
Several gas cylinders at the site which were venting after coming into contact with the flames have also been contained and extinguished.
Initial reports on the number residents who needed medical attention varied.
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson confirmed that five people were assessed by paramedics at the scene and at least two were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, with one also sustaining minor burns.
Operations at Greta Street will continue throughout the day and an investigation is underway into what sparked the blaze.