Firefighters overcame an intense house fire at Woodberry on Saturday after an almost two-hour long battle to bring the blaze under control.
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Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters were called to the Sophia Jane Avenue fire at 12.01am.
East Maitland and Tarro crews arrived first to find the house well alight.
Duty commander Inspector Kernin Lambert said large flames extended at least 15 metres above the roof of the house. A car in the driveway and a garage at the rear of the home also produced fierce flames.
“Fire conditions were extremely intense,” he said.
The fire spread to a neighbouring house. Timber in the roof eves burned, the walls bubbled due to the intense heat and glass windows were shattered.
Firefighters attacked the fire with hose lines and attempted to stop it spreading to more houses.
Crews from Tarro, East Maitland, Minmi, Morpeth, Raymond Terrace, Mayfield West and Newcastle arrived at the scene after a call for reinforcements. Crews from Cessnock and Maitland also attended later to help extinguish the fire.
Inspector Lambert said firefighters battled for almost two hours to bring the fierce blaze completely under control. The fire was fully extinguished by mid-morning.
A number of explosions occurred at the height of the fire, which Inspector Inspector Lambert believed were caused by LPG cylinders.
The house, rear garage and vehicle parked in the driveway were completely destroyed.
The occupants of the house were not home when the fire broke out. They arrived home during the blaze.
“This has been an extremely devastating experience for them,” Inspector Inspector Lambert said.
Firefighters managed to save all surrounding properties and rescue some pet roosters that were in the fire’s path.
Inspector Inspector Lambert credited the crews for their “extremely determined firefighting” under difficult conditions.
The cause of the fire is unknown but is being investigated.
Inspector Lambert said the fire was a timely reminder of the dangers of house fires in the winter months.
“This period often sees a rise in the number of house fires, largely due to an increase in electrical appliances such as heaters, dryers, electric blankets etc,” he said.
“Firefighters remind all persons to check “seasonal” electrical appliances before use to ensure they have not deteriorated when in storage.
“It is also important to remember not to overload power points and power boards.
“Above all, everyone is reminded of the simple yet vital step of making sure their smoke alarms are working properly.”