Firefighters rescue unconscious man from burning cottage | Queenscliff
Published: 01 May 2025 10:30pm
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has rescued an unconscious man from a burning cottage in Pavillion Street, Queenscliff on Sydney’s northern beaches.
FRNSW was alerted to the incident at 22:32pm last night, after neighbours observed a fire venting from windows of the home.
Firefighters forced entry through the front of the property and were immediately confronted with extremely hot, black smoke which had filled the room almost to the floor.
Firefighters commenced a search of the home and located an unconscious man, who was dragged and carried out to the street into clear air.
Firefighters treated the man with oxygen before NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived a short time later. They continued treatment for smoke inhalation and airway burns before rushing him to the hospital.
A second team of firefighters moved past the team of firefighters conducting the rescue, continuing the search for other occupants and the seat of the fire.
The home was heavily smoke logged with zero visibility. Firefighters located the seat of the fire at the rear of the home, which took approximately 20 minutes to extinguish.
Fortunately, there were no other occupants in the residence.
Firefighters ventilated the home to ensure it was fully extinguished and worked to clear out the smoke.
As a matter of process, NSW Police has established a crime scene.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by FRNSW Fire Investigation Unit and NSW Police.
At this stage of the investigation, it appears no working smoke alarms were fitted in the home.
Working smoke alarms can be life-saving. They give you early notification of a fire in your home, buying you and your family precious time to get out before a fire takes hold.
FRNSW offers free home fire safety visits. Firefighters will come to your home and check your smoke alarm is working and if required, will install a new one free of charge.
Anyone can book a safety visit at https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/visits
Updated: 06 Mar 2026 5:29pm