A LARGE fire engulfed half-a-dozen vehicles in the yard of a scrap metal business in the Hi-Tech Drive Industrial estate yesterday.

As flames spread through the yard about 9am, a worker reportedly used a forklift to stop the fire spreading to nearby timber framework and stacked wooden pallets.

The blaze, which cast a thick black plume of smoke over the estate, is thought to have started after petrol fumes ignited.

Eyewitness Boyd Mills, who owns a shed nearby, was driving past the Craft Close scrap metal yard when he spotted the fire.

“It was very intense, flames were rising about four storeys high above the cars,” Mr Mills said.

“I stopped and I noticed the bloke on the forklift shifting the timber framework,” he said.

“The fire would have been much bigger if those things had caught alight.”

NSW Fire and Rescue crews from Coffs Harbour and Sawtell responded.

Coffs Harbour Fire Station officer Sally Foote said firefighters extinguished six vehicles, which caught fire.

“It's believed the fire started when petrol fumes ignited,” Ms Foote said.

“A worker was using a drill on one of the vehicles at the time.

“It was quite a spectacular fire.

“Fortunately no one was injured and it was brought under control quite quickly,” she said.