Fire destroys family home, seven lives saved due to working smoke alarm | Penshurst
Published: 21 Jan 2025 04:30am
A working smoke alarm has led to a family's dramatic escape from a house fire this morning at Penshurst in Sydney's south.
Just after 4.30am today, the alarm sounded as the fire broke out in the garage of the two-storey home in Penshurst Street.
At the time, seven people - three children, their parents and two other adults were asleep upstairs.
The children's father discovered the fire and raced upstairs to rouse his family but by the time he returned to fight the fire with a garden hose, the flames had spread uncontrollably.
A grandfather, who was upstairs, became trapped by smoke while attempting to alert the sleeping children.
He smashed a window on the second floor, and the father, who was downstairs, used a ladder to climb onto an awning to safely evacuate the grandfather and children.
On arrival, FRNSW crews found the two-level home fully involved in fire, and threatening an adjoining property.
Around 30 firefighters and eight fire trucks, including an aerial ladder truck, worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.
The fire created significant challenges for firefighters, as gas on the property and the collapse of solar panels from the roof, into the fire, added complexity to the incident.
Despite their efforts, the house has been destroyed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. It has been noted that several Lithium-Ion batteries were on charge in the garage at the time of the fire, and this will form part of the investigation.
This incident serves as a powerful reminder of the life-saving importance of working smoke alarms. Thanks to the early warning provided, seven lives were saved this morning.
For more information on home fire safety including smoke alarms, or to book a home fire safety visit visit www.fire.nsw.gov.a/befiresafe
Media note: footage from the incident is available here: https://vimeo.com/1048704746/d5c56a8954
Updated: 06 Mar 2026 6:52pm