Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators have determined that faulty Christmas tree lights sparked an intense New Year's Eve house fire at Leonay in Sydney's west.
No-one was inside the home when the fire broke out on the second level of the River Road house around 11.30 pm on Saturday, 31 December.
Eight FRNSW trucks
Eight FRNSW trucks, including an aerial appliance, supported by the Rural Fire Service, rushed to the blaze and firefighters attacked the flames from four sides.
They had just cleared the ground floor when the roof began collapsing. The crews retreated and tried to get to the seat of the fire by climbing ladders to the second storey, avoiding an LPG cylinder ablaze on the balcony.
Fire and Rescue NSW
Timber flooring raised the intensity of the fire, but crews gained the upper hand after an hour. It took another five hours to extinguish the badly damaged home.
An electrical fault involving the family's Christmas tree has been identified as the cause. Fire and Rescue NSW reminds the public never to leave Christmas tree lights on when you are not home or if you're asleep.