A major firefighting operation was under way in Mayfield on Monday afternoon after emergency services were called to a blaze at a building near Denison Street about 3.30pm. Nine fire trucks were at the scene, with at least two more on the way, as firefighters raced in to confront flames and heavy smoke.

Members of the public made more than 30 urgent triple zero calls after seeing significant smoke and flames coming from the structure. Police were deployed and Maitland Road was closed to traffic in both directions, leaving vehicles banked up in gridlock while crews worked at the scene. Everyone was told to avoid the area.

By about 4pm, a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said the flames had been contained to the building, although the situation was still evolving. Maitland Road remained closed in both directions as emergency services stayed on site, and the scale of the response showed how quickly the fire escalated from a local alarm to a major afternoon disruption.

The immediate danger appeared to be limited to the building itself, but the wider impact was already plain on the road network. With traffic stopped and crews still arriving, the Mayfield fire was no longer just a fireground problem; it had become a closed-road emergency that was still being managed as the afternoon wore on.