Emergency services were alerted about 6.30am, after several triple-zero calls reported explosions and flames leaping from the Rutec factory, off Hargraves St.

Firefighters and police rushed to the scene as thick, black smoke billowed into the air and could be seen from as far as 30km away.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews immediately started to attack the blaze and had the upper hand quickly, before the hazardous chemicals were discovered.

Acting fire station officer Tim Gillard told The Leader an exclusion zone was launched as a precaution, but no evacuations were necessary from nearby businesses, which were closed for the weekend.

“(The premises) has a high fuel load and some of the chemicals were in sealed containers,” he said, confirming crews needed to prepare to decant thousands of litres yesterday.

“It’s a delicate operation, in the concentration they are in.

“We’re decanting damaged containers into safer containers, cleaning, and preparing for disposal.”

It’s believed the fire started at the back of the warehouse, engulfing drums of chemicals, and the intensity of the blaze sparked a second blaze inside part of a warehouse.

Mr Gillard said about 20 firefighters from across Tamworth were deployed to assist in the volatile operation, with the scene secured last night to allow crews to stand down before continuing this morning.

“We’ve had fully encapsulated suits,” he said, adding firefighters were taking every precaution.

“We are still dealing with it. It is contained, but we’re in the clean-up phase.”

Police canvassed the area and confirmed the cause of the blaze was “undetermined” and being treated as suspicious.

Investigators said they were following a number of leads into the circumstances surrounding the blaze, but were urging anyone with information to contact them.

In particular, police are appealing for anyone who was in or around the area, particularly near East West Pl, Hawker Rd or Macintosh St, in the early hours of yesterday morning to come forward.

Rutec – an Australian manufacturer of agricultural and ancillary chemicals – is based at the Taminda premises.

A Rutec spokeswoman confirmed employees weren’t able to gain access to the site yesterday to assess the damage, but it would be business as usual as soon as the all clear was given to return to work.

“We have two other buildings and there will be no halt to our productions or supply,” she said.

“Several of our containers of product have been damaged.

“(The operation) is a precautionary measure, for the safety of their people, more than anything else.”

A spokesman for the Environment Protection Authority said the agency was on site yesterday to monitor the incident and would continue to work with fire crews and council in the coming days.

Despite it being declared a hazmat incident, authorities don’t believe the fire has caused any “environmental impacts”.