A young child and a woman have died in a house fire in Sydney’s southwest overnight.
Emergency services were called to St Johns Road in Heckenberg, 36km southwest of Sydney’s CBD, at about 12.40am on Wednesday following reports of a house fire.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, which caused extensive damage to the home.
‘There was nothing we could do, the fire had already taken hold with flames venting out the front windows,’ Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Adam Dewberry told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
Inside the home, police and fire crew found the bodies of a six-year-old child and a 45-year-old woman – who have yet to be identified.
Eight people – including four children and four adults – were inside the home as the flames took hold but managed to escape.
The survivors were treated at the scene.
A three-year-old girl was rushed to Westmead Children’s Hospital, where she remains in a critical condition, while a man is fighting for his life at Concord Hospital.
Emergency services were called to St Johns Road in Heckenberg shortly before 12.40am on Wednesday following reports of a house fire.
The bodies of a six-year-old girl and a 46-year-old woman were found inside the home after firefighters extinguished the blaze
A second child and another man were taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment.
Police have established a crime scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire.
‘This home is completely gutted, it’s absolutely been destroyed. Fire ripped through the home,’ Superintendent Dewberry said.
‘It’s absolutely just a shell of itself, so they’re sifting through to have a look at where and how this fire actually started.’
Superintendent Dewberry said there is no indication that the home had working smoke alarms.
‘It doesn’t matter what starts the fire but we do know working smoke alarms save lives,’ he said.
‘Smoke alarms are that first line of defence for you to protect yourself, your family and your loved ones.’
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The fire occurred just one day after a 21-year-old Pakistani national and Uber delivery driver Haider Ali, lost his life in a house fire in Guildford.
Early investigations suggest that the Guildford blaze was caused by an e-bike battery catching fire due to the use of an incompatible charger on a food delivery bike.
Fire and Rescue NSW urged e-bike owners owners to be ‘very cautious’ with how they charge the lithium batteries, which can overheat and catch fire if not monitored, and encouraged everyone to check their smoke alarms are in working order.
