A working smoke alarm has allowed residents to escape a ferocious house fire at St Clair.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) received numerous Triple Zero (000) calls about a large volume of smoke and flames issuing from the single storey home in Cassia Close around 6pm last night.
Seven fire crews rushed to the scene and battled the blaze from three sides.
Flames, fanned by strong winds, engulfed a long sun room, which collapsed at the rear of the house.
Firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, took just 20-minutes to gain control of the blaze.
They stopped the fire spreading to the adjacent garage which contained a number of prestige cars and a boat.
The two people home at the time, an 18-year-old man and 12-year-old boy, escaped the blaze when the smoke alarm began sounding, whilst a neighbour rescued the family’s dog from the back yard.
Firefighters suspect the fire was started by a short circuit in a fridge on the property.
Fire and Rescue NSW is appealing to the public to ensure their smoke alarms are in working order.
For expert assistance in safeguarding your home call FRNSW to discuss booking a fire safety visit.
If you don’t have smoke alarms installed, the FRNSW crews can install one for you, free of charge.
More information is available at: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=9316.
