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A senior member of a renowned winemaking family is feared to be among two people killed in a massive explosion that blew the roof off a Hunter Valley winery this morning.
Trevor Drayton was working at the family-owned Drayton's Winery on Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin about 8.30am (AEDT) (NZT 10.30am) when ethanol fumes were reportedly ignited by a spark from a welder.
Keith Tulloch, the proprietor of fellow Hunter Valley winemaker Keith Tulloch Wines, said he had been informed Trevor Drayton died in the blast.
He had been one of the "icons" of the industry in the Hunter Valley and a lifelong friend, Mr Tulloch said.
"In all fairness he could only be described as an iconic Hunter Valley winer," he said.
"He was one of the leading figures in the winemaking community and representative of the Hunter Valley in many ways.
"His family started winemaking in the 1850s and that certainly makes them one of the real pioneers."
The explosion - heard up to five kilometres away - blew the roof from the winery's main shed and damaged the cellar door, sending up a fireball seen by workers at neighbouring vineyards.
The NSW Ambulance Service said two people were killed in the blast, and a 27-year-old man was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital with serious burns to 80 per cent of his body.
Pokolbin resident and Drayton neighbour Damien Griffith told the Nine Network a man engulfed in flames was seen fleeing the site of the explosion after being thrown 20 metres by the blast.
"There was a huge fireball on the hill about a kilometre away and I thought I'd better get over there pretty quickly," Mr Griffith said.
"There was one guy in a dam, he had run down of his own account. He was still able to talk, he had run down on fire and jumped in that dam.
"He was in a pretty bad way, he was in quite a lot of pain, he had a burnt face and skin coming off his arms.
"He looked pretty bad. He had to wait there for at least 10 minutes, maybe 15 minutes before the ambulance arrived. I felt pretty bad for him.
"That was the only injured fella that I could see, as far as I understand most of them got out, but he said that he had been blown 20 metres through the air by the blast and there was a couple of guys near him that couldn't be found at that stage."
A John Hunter Hospital spokeswoman said the 27-year-old burns victim was in a critical condition.
There are no other reported injuries and authorities have accounted for everyone else known to be at the property, which was not open to the public at the time of the explosion.
Police, paramedics and three rescue helicopters were sent to the scene, while 10 crews from the Rural Fire Service and NSW Fire Brigades contained the blaze.
The fire continues to smoulder, with materials used in the production of wine meaning the area is still considered hazardous.
"Looking around and you look at damage in trees around the place from what was obviously a shockwave of some sort from the explosion, I think it's probably very lucky that it happened early," Rural Fire Service Superintendent Jason McKellar told Macquarie Radio.
Supt McKellar said the building was extensively damaged.
"[The blast has] got something to do with work that was being carried out in there and the material is some sort of ethanol blend that is used," he said.
Mr Tulloch said he understood the plant exploded when ethanol, made up of brandy spirit, ignited during a welding operation.
The Drayton family started winemaking at Pokolbin in 1853 and now operate three wineries in the region - Robyn Drayton Wines, Ivanhoe Wines run by Stephen Drayton and Drayton's Family Wines where today's explosion occurred.
Max Drayton and his sons John, Trevor and Greg operated Drayton's Family Wines.
In 2003, Max Drayton was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to the wine industry.
The family has previously been touched by tragedy, with Max's brother Reg Drayton and his wife Pam among nine people presumed killed in the October 1994 Seaview Air disaster.
No bodies were ever recovered from the plane which went down while en route from Williamtown to Lord Howe Island.
- AAP
