'Like a Die-Hard movie' Firefighter injured after hybrid car bursts into flames

A hybrid car erupted into flames this morning in a 'dramatic' explosion in Sydney's Inner West, with a firefighter injured while trying to tackle the blaze.

The Volvo SUV caught on fire on Ross Street in Camperdown at 4.40am today.

The car had started smoking earlier in the morning but only erupted into flames once firefighters opened the car's door.

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Flames from the sudden flashover blaze hit one firefighter in the face, Fire and Rescue NSW said.

He was treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns to his face before he was taken to hospital as a precaution.

The car's owner, Lucas Hume, said the explosion was "quite dramatic".

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"One of the fireys unfortunately opened the rear door and this gush of flame came out and hit him in the face," Hume said.

"It was kind of like a scene out of... a Die-Hard movie."

The car's interior was completely destroyed while the lithium-ion battery under the cabin was intact.

It took crews about 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control, while the street remained closed for most of the morning.

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FRNSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said electric vehicle fires are rare encounters for crews.

"We don't see many EV fires at all... we do hundreds of fires, petrol, diesel... not many lithium or hybrid," Dewberry said.

The battery has not been identified as the cause of the fire.

FRNSW's Fire Investigation and Research Unit is still investigating the cause of the blaze.