Dramatic footage as car bursts into flames

Watch the horrifying moment a car is consumed by fire in the heart of Paddington in Sydney’s east.

A passer-by has captured the terrifying moment a vehicle burst alight in the after school rush along Oxford Street.

Media commentator Melissa Hoyer was at the scene almost immediately after smelling the “revolting” smoke from her nearby home.

A car caught on fire in Paddington earlier today. Picture: Christian Gilles / NCA NewsWire

She posted the harrowing footage to her social media accounts. No one was injured in the blaze.

Ms Hoyer told NewsLocal she and several neighbours could spell a “disgusting, toxic smell” but could not work out what it was.

“Then we all looked down the road and there were a couple of cops at a roundabout and the smell got into more and more houses and a lot of people were coming out having thought the same thing – that something was burning in their house,” she said.

“An older looking car had turned from Oxford Street into Greens Road and a man jumped out just in the nick of time and then fireman came and it took about 10 minutes to get it out because obviously there would have been gas burning.”

Car (old model) has burst into flames just off Oxford St Paddington, near 7/11. A man has jumped out. Phew. Police everywhere redirecting cars & people. At least 10 mins to get flames out. Wee all thought something was burning in our homes. Still smoking but flames out. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/DgolQFcmUn

— Melissa Hoyer (@melissahoyer) February 10, 2022

A police spokesman confirmed the incident took place at 3.32pm today (Thursday) outside the 7/11 service station.

“Police are still on the scene,” he told the Wentworth Courier at about 4:30pm.

“Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which was believed to have been caused by a mechanical fault.”

At 5pm, Ms Hoyer said police had cleared the area. The incident caused only minor traffic issues.