Family loses everything as large fire destroys house

A devastating fire in Warilla, south of Wollongong, has left a family of four with nothing after their home was completely destroyed overnight. Emergency services responded to the blaze on Helen Street around 9 p.m. Sunday, finding the single-storey residence engulfed in flames. The parents and their two children managed to escape the inferno without serious injury, though the woman received treatment for a minor burn to her arm.

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It does show how quickly that can spread. It's gone literally from a piece of furniture on the balcony up into the roof of the house and then right through the house.

Fire and Rescue Shellharbour Station Commander Darin Sullivan described the fire as spectacular and fast-moving, noting it spread from the front verandah into the roof and through the entire house within minutes. Firefighters faced a challenging situation upon arrival, with fallen powerlines sparking and a gas cylinder on fire at the side of the house complicating their efforts. It took crews over an hour to bring the fire under control and nearly three more to extinguish it completely.

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Within six minutes it took hold of the whole house.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Commander Sullivan indicated it does not appear to be deliberate or suspicious. The family, however, has lost everything, a situation described as a "catastrophe." In response, the homeowner's brother, Jesse Thompson, launched an online fundraiser that quickly garnered thousands of dollars, highlighting the community's immediate support for the devastated family who escaped with only the clothes on their backs.

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We had a fair bit going on and some challenges for us when we first got there.