Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) News

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are working to clear a major spill of combustible liquid at Mascot, in Sydney's inner south. The operation began around 4:30 am when two semi-trailers collided at the intersection of O'Riordan Street and Joyce Drive, near the Domestic Airport. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated both drivers on-site for minor injuries. Combustible hydrocarbon liquid Both roads were closed to maintain community safety and enable effective emergency response One of the trucks was...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire which has engulfed a factory at Jamisontown, in Sydney's west. More than 40 firefighters and 14 fire trucks were deployed to the Regentville Street complex, where the blaze broke out just after 10 pm. It had started in a unit used to manufacture perfumes and colognes. Structural damage Flames quickly reached high above the building, causing the roof to collapse and leaving behind significant structural dam...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are battling a large warehouse fire at Five Dock, in Sydney's inner west. Shortly after 3 pm, FRNSW received multiple Triple-Zero (000) calls reporting large volumes of smoke issuing from the warehouse on Parramatta Road. On arrival, 18 FRNSW trucks and more than 60 firefighters began controlling the fire, which was rapidly moving through a warehouse containing multiple businesses, amid concerns the fire would spread to adjoining properties. Thermal imaging c...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has determined there was a 12 percent increase in house fires during winter this year, sparking calls for more working smoke alarms in NSW homes. The latest statistics gathered by FRNSW indicate there were 1063 residential fires during winter this year, an increase of 119 on the same season last year. It’s the largest number of winter residential fires in NSW since 2019, when 1092 such blazes were recorded. Winter residential fires Eight people were killed...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have saved a home from a large Lithium-Ion battery fire at Warrawee, on Sydney’s upper north shore. A resident was charging the battery used to power a leaf blower in the carport of the home on Finlay Road, just before 5 pm, when the cells went into ‘thermal runaway’ and caught fire. The flames destroyed the carport which collapsed. Neighbors used garden hoses in an attempt to extinguish the fire on the battle-axe property. FRNSW Reminder F...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have successfully completed a strategic hazard reduction burn to protect the headland at North Mona Vale, on Sydney's northern beaches. FRNSW deployed firefighters from Mona Vale, Mount Druitt, Silverwater, Campsie, Fairfield, and Lidcombe around the half-hectare coastal site. FRNSW Bushfire Officer, Kyle Macorig, said the controlled burn took four hours to complete. Containment lines "We were faced with vegetation known as 'coastal heath’ which can be...

A number of hazard reduction burns are scheduled for NSW, including the Greater Sydney Area, over the coming days. Smoke from these burns is likely to settle across residential areas, especially in the afternoon and evening. Heavy smoke may be experienced by residents close to the burns and in eastern parts of the metropolitan area. Smoke is expected to remain over parts of Sydney until early next week. Smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning can affect some people more than others....

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters have saved a historic boat shed from fire on the Parramatta River at Putney, in Sydney's north-west. More than 30 firefighters and eight fire trucks were deployed to Waterview Street as flames engulfed a small building just after 4 am. The blaze then threatened to spread to a nearby complex, which has significance to Australia's early colonial history and has been used as a boat-building, servicing, and repair facility since the 1930s. FRNSW crews FRN...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators today have determined that a Lithium-ion battery has caused a fire which destroyed five cars at Sydney Airport last night. Firefighters were called around 8:30 pm to a parking lot on Airport Drive, Mascot, where flames had engulfed a luxury electric car before spreading to another four motor vehicles. The battery, which had recently been detached from the luxury car and stored in the lot, was quickly identified as having sparked the blaze. Experts fro...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighter, Gavin Clifton, is just days away from his latest fund-raising venture for charity, climbing 18 hours non-stop up and down the Furber Steps at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Gavin, an On-call (Retained) firefighter based at Wentworth Falls Fire Station, is aiming to raise $50,000 to aid research into Motor Neurone Disease, as part of the annual ‘Firies Climb for MND’ program. Originating from his initial Sydney Tower climb, Gavin is “u...

A firefighting couple has relied on their on-the-job experience to deliver their own baby in the car park of a Hunter Valley fast food restaurant. Pregnant Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Communication Centre Operator, Samantha Paul, was four days overdue when she started going into labor at her Nelson Bay home. Her partner, FRNSW Senior Firefighter, Elizabeth Paul, immediately placed her into their car and began the hour-long journey to Belmont Midwifery Group Practice. NSW Ambulance The couple...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has determined a fire, which caused major damage to a volunteer organization's ambulance station in Sydney's inner west overnight, was sparked by a Lithium-ion battery in a buggy. More than 30 firefighters and nine fire trucks were deployed just after midnight to Deane Street, Burwood, where flames had broken out in a car park on the ground level of the five-storey building. The blaze severely damaged six ambulances, three support vehicles, trailers, and a buggy, wh...

The Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Firefighter Championships at Wagga Wagga have come to a close, following three days of hard-fought competition and skills development. Making a return to its inaugural birthplace, the 2024 State Championships proved to be full of camaraderie, community spirit and teamwork. Victorian visitors, Echuca Country Fire Authority (CFA) took out the top spot after an exhilarating display of teamwork and skill, inching ahead of FRNSW’s Wyong and Kootingal Rural Fire...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is reminding the public to remain safe from residential fires this summer by safeguarding their homes and properties. Now is the time when households are putting up Christmas trees, firing up barbecues, and planning summer holidays. FRNSW has released a series of checklists for the public to keep in mind as the festive season gets closer.   FRNSW recommendations FRNSW recommends the following:  CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS When setting up fairy lights...

Fire and Rescue NSW has hosted a special Chinese Lion dancing ceremony to welcome prosperity and happiness during the service’s 140th year. With the Lunar New Year festivities starting on Saturday, 10th March, FRNSW Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, and other firefighters welcomed the performance in the station’s engine bays by the Chinese Youth League Lion and Dragon dance troupe. The procession through Number One Station, City of Sydney, Australia’s busiest, aims to promote go...

PAW Patrol fan favorites will bolster fire education and awareness among children in a unique partnership between Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and Paramount Australia, announced. The alliance will see the characters from the hit animated franchise, airing on Nickelodeon and produced by Spin Master Entertainment, convey age-appropriate fire safety messaging to preschool and primary school-aged children. It follows the outstanding response to PAW Patrol’s association with the FRNSW Open Day...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has deployed a new firefighting tanker at Umina, boosting protection measures for the state’s Central Coast. Valued at $450,000, the Isuzu Category One tanker is the latest of 34 new tankers funded by the NSW Government after the devastating 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. The Isuzu is a multi-purpose, off-road-capable tanker that can carry more water than typical urban fire engines. The four-wheel drive also incorporates a new ‘Halo’ cabin protect...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has marked its 140th birthday with a special ceremony at one of Australia’s most historic fire stations. NSW Governor, Her Excellency the Honorable Margaret Beazley AC KC, joined Emergency Services Minister, Jihad Dib MP; FRNSW Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM, and a host of other dignitaries at a birthday party at the City of Sydney station in Castlereagh Street. The officials cut a birthday cake to honor the occasion, marking FRNSW’s unique history a...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has isolated the last of the gas cylinders which ignited at an industrial facility at Port Kembla, in the state's Illawarra. Eight cylinders of highly flammable and potentially explosive acetylene caught fire at the Springhill Road facility around 10:30 am yesterday. Dozens of FRNSW firefighters, including hazardous materials (HAZMAT) experts, responded to the incident and protected surrounding buildings. HAZMAT crews The final cylinder burnt out around 2 am, and...

Residents in the Newcastle suburb of Wickham are advised to keep their doors and windows closed as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews battle a large fire in an auto-electrical business. The blaze broke out in the Foundry Street premises just after 3.30am. Twelve fire trucks, including an aerial platform, and around 40 firefighters rushed to the scene where the flames consumed dozens of cars and engulfed a building. The roof of that 200m x 200m building has collapsed as a cloud of thick, black s...

A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) fleet mechanic has described how she rushed to the aid of a heavily pregnant woman, trapped by a car fire in Sydney’s Eastern Distributor. Belinda Jackson, a civilian with FRNSW’s fleet division, was driving her service truck through the tunnel when she noticed a couple standing next to their burning car, stationary in the southbound lanes. Belinda stopped the truck, assessed the situation, and then repositioned the FRNSW vehicle to protect the pregnan...

A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew has teamed up with NSW Health to conduct an emergency exercise in the Southern Tablelands. The Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) recently invited the crew from 236 Station Braidwood to simulate a hazardous materials (HAZMAT) emergency outside the Braidwood Multipurpose Service (MPS). The mock scenario involved an individual intent on carrying a bag of ‘toxic’ chemicals inside the health facility to disrupt operations. On-call Braidwood...

More than 400 current and former service personnel who work for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) now have access to an enhanced support network as RSL NSW re-establishes a standalone sub-branch for the state’s firefighters. The NSW Fire Brigades sub-branch was first formed in the 1920s – off the back of the First World War, when its main purpose was to facilitate repatriation and medical support. It continued its important work until the 1980s when it was abolished due to a lack of memb...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is investigating the cause of a fire which destroyed an e-bike factory at Croydon, in Sydney’s inner west. More than 60 firefighters and 15 fire trucks were deployed to Elizabeth Street, where the blaze broke out in the small building behind a row of shops, just before 5am. FRNSW crews battled for more than two hours to contain the fire, having to attack it from outside the building due to concerns parts of the structure may collapse. Aerial fire trucks Fire...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) advises that a funeral will be held for Firefighter, Michael Kidd, following his death in a house fire last week at Grose Vale, in Sydney’s north-west. The 51-year-old On-call FRNSW firefighter and veteran Rural Fire Service volunteer is survived by his wife and two adult children, who have accepted an offer of a FRNSW funeral with full honors. Provisions have been made for the funeral, and outlets are requested not to approach family members for comment...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have teamed up with community elders for a successful series of home fire safety visits in the township of Walgett in the state’s north-west. Building on engagement experiences, gleaned from deployments to isolated areas hit by natural disasters, the firefighters linked up with the elders and went door to door last week, providing home fire safety advice, testing smoke alarms, and checking access to fire hydrants. Among the first responders were highly r...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is urging residents to be extra vigilant about the risk of fires in their homes following a spate of fires in Sydney’s south-west. FRNSW crews have responded to at least 10 fires in houses, units, garages and garden sheds in the south-western suburbs in the past few weeks. Some were caused by electrical faults whilst others were started by cooking left unattended on kitchen stoves. Spike in residential fires The spike in residential fires has prompted FRNSW...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is reminding travellers heading to and from the snowfields this winter to exercise patience and safety on the icy roads. The FRNSW crews of permanent firefighters, seconded to the Perisher Valley Fire Station for the next few months, along with local On-call firefighters, are undergoing additional alpine training this winter, familiarising themselves with the Hagglund tracked fire appliance, skidoos and six-wheel All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), used by the fire service...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have door-knocked more than 60 homes at Macquarie Fields, in Sydney’s south-west, in the wake of a devastating house fire in the neighbourhood. On 28 May, 10 people made a narrow and very lucky escape when their two-storey house in Groundsel Avenue went up in flames. FRNSW had installed working smoke alarms in the home just a few days earlier, allowing the mother and her nine children to safely evacuate upon hearing the alert. Alarm testing and provisio...

A lithium-ion battery from an e-bike has caused a fire in a unit at Lethbridge Park in Sydney's west earlier today. Crews were called to the second-floor unit in Hawaii Avenue just before 3.00 am after reports of a blaze in the three-storey complex. Upon arrival, 16 firefighters quickly got to work to contain the fire, which is believed to have started in the kitchen area of the premises where the lithium-ion battery was located. Initial reports It took crews approximately 20 minutes to exti...