A woman screaming "Where's my husband?" had to be restrained. Credit:Nick Moir

A resident said he was woken by a huge explosion and, after calling triple-0, ran onto the street to see if he could help.

He watched as the group of police repeatedly ran into the flames. Another man managed to crawl from the building, but his friend was trapped under rubble from the first floor.

''They [the police officers] run towards the fire in an effort to get to this guy and, you know, they're pushed back by flames, and then they turn around and try again,'' the resident said. ''One guy jumps in the van and drives that towards the fire in order to try and shield the officers. They were more concerned about the victims' lives than their own. It just shows how much that they will risk their own lives to save someone else. They should be commended for it.''

The two victims were taken to Westmead Hospital with severe burns, where they were in a serious but stable condition. The eight officers also had to be treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation but were said to be in good spirits.