Woman and child die in house fire - Heckenberg
Published: 19 Feb 2025 09:58am
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators are trying to determine the cause of a house fire that's killed a woman and child overnight at Heckenberg, in Sydney's south-west.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) received numerous Triple Zero (000) calls about the blaze on St John’s Road around 12.35am.
Within minutes of the calls, NSW Police arrived on scene and were confronted by a well-advanced fire and flames flaring out the windows.
Four FRNSW trucks and 16 firefighters followed soon after and found the fire continuing to spread throughout the single-level fibro home.
Eight people self-evacuated prior to the arrival of emergency services, with one man and two children suffering serious injuries. The adult and one of the children remain in hospital.
Crews quickly commenced firefighting operations following reports of people still within the home but despite their best efforts, were unable to enter the property due to the extreme fire conditions.
Once firefighters knocked down the fire, they tragically located the bodies of a 46-year-old woman and six-year-old child.
It took about an hour and a half to get the fire completely extinguished and the home has been completely destroyed.
FRNSW expert fire investigators and NSW Police are currently on scene working through the ruins trying to determine how and why the fire started.
They are also seeking to ascertain whether a working smoke alarm was present in the home.
Media note - FRNSW footage of the scene is available here: https://vimeo.com/1058015155/511cb6cc87?ts=0& [external link];share=copy
Updated: 19 Feb 2025 09:04am
Related safety topics
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Having a home escape plan and a working smoke alarm increases your chances of getting out safely.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
For flood information, warnings or requests for non-life threatening assistance, call the SES on 132 500 or visit the NSW State Emergency Service website here. [external link].
For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link]
Stations nearby
101 Cartwright Avenue, Busby NSW 2168
70 Gloucester Street, Bonnyrigg Heights NSW 2177
100 St Johns Rd, Cabramatta NSW 2166