Major fire at Hunter Valley Whitegoods sparks evacuations and traffic chaos in Mayfield

18 May 2026

newy.com.au – Firefighters have battled a major blaze at Hunter Valley Whitegoods in Mayfield after a structure fire sent heavy smoke over the suburb, forced nearby evacuations and shut down Maitland Road during Monday afternoon traffic.

Emergency services were called to the corner of Denison Street and Maitland Road about 3.30pm on Monday, 18 May 2026, after reports of a building on fire. Police, Fire and Rescue NSW crews, Hazmat specialists and NSW Ambulance attended, with officers arriving to find the building alight. NSW Police urged residents within one kilometre to close doors and windows to reduce the risk of smoke, fumes or embers entering their homes.

A large number of Triple Zero calls were made as flames took hold at the commercial warehouse. Fire and Rescue NSW said about 15 trucks and 60 firefighters were at the scene, with crews working to stop the blaze spreading to nearby properties. “Some surrounding properties remain under threat, too,” a FRNSW spokesperson said. “We’re working to contain the fire to the building, at this time, as well as account for its occupants.”

The fire produced a large plume of smoke visible from kilometres away, while flames were seen rising between five and 20 metres at the height of the blaze. An aerial ladder appliance was used to pump water through the roof as crews worked to bring the fire under control, with flames burning close to neighbouring buildings.

No one inside the building was reported injured, though a number of people were assessed by NSW Ambulance at the scene. More than 20 people from neighbouring homes were evacuated, and an evacuation centre was opened at Wests Club, 32 Industrial Drive, Mayfield, for residents displaced by the incident.

Police established a 200-metre exclusion zone around the fireground, while Maitland Road and surrounding streets were closed as firefighters worked. The closures caused traffic chaos through the afternoon peak, with long queues banking up around Mayfield as motorists were urged to avoid the area. Power outages were also reported near the fire, and police later said electricity was in the process of being restored.

By 8.55pm, NSW Police said evacuation orders had been revised, with only three odd-numbered properties on Denison Street between the fire site and Waratah Street still under evacuation order. All other residents were told they could return home. Police also advised residents not to touch any item of concern on their property that they believed may be contaminated, and to contact the EPA on 131 555.

The fire has hit a business with deep local ties and a difficult history at the site. Hunter Valley Whitegoods was also affected by a major fire at its earlier Maitland Road premises in January 2014, when a whitegoods store was destroyed and about 60 firefighters responded. The cleared block across the road later became a familiar Mayfield landmark, known locally by some as the whitegoods playground, after appliances and parts were stored there following the first fire.

Messages of support for the business and its operators were posted online as the emergency unfolded. One person wrote, “I hope everyone is safe and okay,” while another described it as “a great business” run by “beautiful people”. Others said they hoped the family behind the long-running business was safe.

The cause of the fire had not been released. Emergency services continued to ask people to stay away from the area, avoid smoke, and follow directions from police and firefighters.