Sydney fire truck caught in the sink hole
© ABC News
Emergency services have freed a fire truck that was caught in a hole for 10 hours and teetering on the edge of a cliff in Bilgola on Sydney's northern beaches.

The fire crew was responding to reports of flooding due to a burst water main about 4:00am when the vehicle hit what they thought was a pothole on The Serpentine Road.

After first using a crane to lift the 14-tonne truck out of the hole, winches and airbags - normally used to lift train carriages - were brought in to help move the truck out of what police called a sink hole.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Kel McNamara said when the truck became stuck, the crew immediately ensured people in the area were safe.

The fire crew was responding to reports of flooding due to a burst water main about 4:00am when the vehicle hit what they thought was a pothole on The Serpentine Road.

After first using a crane to lift the 14-tonne truck out of the hole, winches and airbags - normally used to lift train carriages - were brought in to help move the truck out of what police called a sink hole.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Kel McNamara said when the truck became stuck, the crew immediately ensured people in the area were safe.

Earlier, Supt McNamara had said the truck was stuck in a three-metre deep sink hole, tethered to a tow truck at a 45-degree angle on the cliff.

Police had feared the hole could open up further, dislodging the truck and causing it to roll onto houses further down the embankment.

At the bottom of the cliff the burst water main caused huge amounts of damage to at least five homes.

Backyards have been covered in mud, retaining walls have been destroyed and houses have filled with mud and silt.

State Emergency Services (SES) workers and engineers were called in to assess if there would be any further landslips.

A police spokesman said there had been similar incidents on The Serpentine Road and residents were aware of the issue.

"The people who have been evacuated self-evacuated, so they're looking after themselves," he said."There's one couple we are providing some assistance with, using the SES."Sydney Water did not know what caused the burst main and shut off the water.