Residents escape during Sydney unit fire

Residents in a western Sydney unit block have escaped uninjured after an apartment caught fire.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze on Wednesday night after responding to reports of a unit fire in Merrylands West.

Police say a front bedroom of the unit was extensively damaged and there was significant smoke and heat damage caused to the remainder of the premises.

A 50-year-old man in the unit and his neighbouring residents were assisted out of the building uninjured.