Man arrested over Sydney unit fire

A man who barricaded himself in a Sydney unit before a blaze erupted inside the complex has been arrested.

The 22-year-old locked himself inside the Newtown unit before threatening police who came to the Alice Street complex to speak with a woman around 7.40am on Thursday.

Officers forced entry into the unit after the fire broke out before ejecting and arresting the man as firefighters extinguished the blaze.