A resident of a Taree unit block that caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning has been injured after jumping from the second-floor balcony of the burning building.
Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the unit complex on Ronald Road just after 1.30am, and spent three hours extinguishing the blaze.
More than 20 firefighters from the local station and as far away as Newcastle and Port Macquarie were able to contain the fire to the upper floor of the complex, however the damage is extensive.
"It's been a great example of cooperation between our emergency services," Taree Station Commander Peter Willard said.
Several residents have been treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
Approximately 45 residents were evacuated to a nearby club and are receiving support from the Mid Coast council.
"They are all being looked after by the housing authority responsible, so I'm sure everyone will be temporarily relocated," Commander Willard said.
Commander Willard praised the work of firefighters in limiting the spread of the blaze.
"It's a 12-unit block, and there's another 12-unit block behind it, so it could have been a major disaster," he said.
"It was a big open space, [so] once it got into that the fire travelled quickly."
The cause of the fire is under investigation and specialist fire investigators are travelling to Taree from Sydney to assist.
