Fuel tanker on fire on M1 Princes Motorway at West Wollongong

A childcare centre was forced to flee as a raging fireball from a truck threatened to spread, shutting down a major motorway which remains closed.

The major motorway connecting Sydney to south is expected to be closed until the evening after a fuel tanker exploding, sparking chaos.

A childcare centre and nearby residents were force to flee after fireballs kept going off across the morning, following the blaze start started about 8.40am.

Traffic was brought to a standstill as firefighters struggle to get the 36,000-litre fuel tanker fire under control, with the Princes Motorway at West Wollongong soon closing and remaining that way into the afternoon.

The driver 44, escaped safely from his cabin, only burning some hairs after the fully loaded tanker went up in flames when he pulled over near the Figtree on-ramp.

Childcare centre worker Elise Fitzsimmons said the situation was “hectic”.

“There was a couple of explosions and then with each explosion the flames just got more and more, and higher like fireballs,” she told ABC News.

“We really didn’t know what was happening, then I saw the flames and I thought oh my goodness I’ve got to get these kids out of here right now.”

Parents collected their children from a home they took shelter in away from the danger.

Sixteen residents who live nearby have been evacuated as a precaution.

#Wollongong #FuelTanker pic.twitter.com/glkKhIHzLX

— Dr Tam Stutchbury (@tamstutch) January 3, 2019

Wow. Hope everyone is ok. Tanker fire Wollongong pic.twitter.com/tFovxTa0hU

— Dr Tam Stutchbury (@tamstutch) January 3, 2019

Dark plumes of smoke through the air across the morning, impacting visibility.

The plumes could be seen across most of Wollongong, with residents sharing videos far from the scene, and authorities setting up a 2km exclusion zone set up around the site.

Several firefighters requested more water to get the blaze under control and hazmat crews were sent it to boom drains.

Commuters are being told to avoid the area, with warnings the road could be closed in both directions until tonight because of the scale of the clean-up.

Southbound traffic is being diverted at Mount Ousley Road and Northbound traffic is being diverted on to Five Islands Road.

Buses are being diverted on to London Drive and are delayed about 25 minutes.

Passing motorists captured images of the blaze. Picture: Nine News

Motorists are now being told to avoid the area. Picture: Nine News

New South Wales Fire and Rescue Inspector Norm Buckley told reporters it was a “very, very fierce fire”.

“It’s in the front of that tanker and no running fuel fire at this stage and we certainly want to ensure that we keep it that way,” he said.

“It’s a very dynamic fire — 80 firefighters are using a lot of foam and a lot of water onto those tanks to make sure it doesn’t breach.”

More than 100 firefighters have since gained the upper hand on a massive fuel fire.

Sydney’s west is forecast to reach the mid-30C while the mercury is tipped to hit 45C in other parts of the state on Friday.

Love too have the M1 closed by a fuel tanker on fire as we travel to Sydney for the cricket. Trucks, keeping the nation moving.

— Adam (@kels_316) January 3, 2019

Resident Marty Parcon told The Daily Telegraph he heard two large exlposions and rushed outside.

“We were inside and I heard two explosions and looked out the windows — it was just a huge tower of smoke and flames … the truck was in a massive fireball,” he said.

“Fifteen minutes later police came and told us we had to evacuate.