Fire Industry News for August 2025

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is reminding homeowners to heed its warnings about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, following another two dangerous fires at the weekend. In the first incident, a blaze broke out in the garage of a home in Hector Street at Bass Hill, in Sydney’s south-west, around 11.15 am on Saturday. Arrival of local firefighters The flames destroyed the bike, which was smashed by residents with a garden hose just before the arrival A man placed an e-bike battery on c...

A special milestone for Thirroul Fire Station will take place this weekend as it celebrates its first 100 years of operation. The first firefighters were stationed there in 1923, with the original crew working from a small garage, equipped only with a hose-reel, hose, and minor appliances. new brick fire station In 1924, the Board of Fire Commissioners granted permission for the construction of a new brick fire station, with the building becoming fully operational on the 4th of September of t...

Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters have raised over $100,000 for Burns Unit victims through their annual 400in4 Charity ride and ultra-marathon runner, Rob Mason. In March this year, 28 FRNSW and ACT Firefighters set up base camp at the NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park for a week of ‘gears and tears’ for the kids currently doing it tough in the Burns Unit at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Final day of the ride The final day of the ride then saw a race between an ultramarathon...

More than 70 people have been evacuated as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews work to contain toxic chemicals at an apartment building in Sydney's inner west. Emergency services were called around 11:15 am to the complex on Parramatta Road, Camperdown, where chlorine had reportedly been mixed with hydrochloric acid in a plant room used for an in-ground swimming pool. FRNSW currently has 10 firefighters on-scene, the majority of whom specialize in hazardous materials (HAZMAT) responses. Protect...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have responded to a bus crash at Drummoyne, in Sydney's inner west. The vehicle collided with a ute and a car near the intersection of Victoria Road and Lyons Road just before 12:30 pm. The bus then came to rest at an approximately 30-degree angle on top of a meter-high concrete road divider on Victoria Road. FRNSW firefighters helped free the driver who was briefly trapped in the wreckage. They also assisted in righting the bus, deploying stabilization eq...

The quick actions of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have stopped a fire in a unit at Kingsgrove, in Sydney's south, from spreading to adjoining homes. The blaze tore through the garage of the two-story Morgan Street property around 7:20 am, also destroying a car that had been parked inside it. Living areas in the same unit sustained significant smoke and heat damage. NSW Ambulance paramedics More than 30 FRNSW firefighters attacked the fire for half an hour, before it was brought under con...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have extinguished a fire in a historic hotel in Newcastle, in the state's Hunter region. More than 40 firefighters responded to the incident at the almost 150-year-old pub on Berner Street, Merewether, just before 10 am. The blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen and quickly spread to the nearby restaurant, bar, beer garden, and storage areas. FRNSW crews It was brought under control in less than half an hour. The efforts of firefighters prevented m...

There was a round of 'a-paws' for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews on the Central Coast yesterday when they rescued a pet dog and bird from a house fire. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial platform, rushed to the two-storey home in Rumbalara Place in Springfield, around 2 pm. Food scraps in the kitchen A fire crew was dispatched and found the frightened eight-year-old Poodle As they moved to extinguish food scraps in the kitchen, firefighters were alerted by the homeowner that his f...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have revived a family pet they rescued from a burning house at Kellyville Ridge, in Sydney's north-west. More than 30 firefighters were called in to attack the blaze in Olea Street around 4 am. Two adults, two children, and two pet dogs managed to escape before flames took hold at the back of the two-story property. FRNSW crews brought the fire under control in less than 20 minutes. Working smoke alarms A short time later, firefighters found the family...

Fire and Rescue NSW's station at Picton, in Sydney's south-west, has received another upgrade with the arrival of a new state-of-the-art, light Bushfire Tanker. The new Tanker, built on an Isuzu chassis by Macarthur company, Alphatex Industries, replaces the older Mitsubishi Canter light vehicle. It features a Cabin Protection System (CPS), which improves safety for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews operating at bushfire incidents, along with wheel water protection sprayers and another water no...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have now extinguished a house fire at Balmain, in Sydney's inner west. Approximately 20 firefighters, using four fire trucks and an aerial pumper, responded to the blaze in Terry Street, near Schultz Street, just after 7:30 am. The fire quickly spread through the roof of the single-level home. All occupants have been accounted for and there have been no reports of injuries as a result of the incident. Other safety measures The fire was contained around 9...

More than 100 people have been evacuated from a building in the Sydney CBD as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews respond to a gas leak. Firefighters were called around 9:40 am to Art Gallery Road after a main gas line had reportedly been ruptured by tradespeople. The occupants of a nearby gallery and café were instructed to leave the area as a precaution. FRNSW personnel An exclusion zone is currently in place, with the road closed to pedestrians and vehicles. Gas company tech...

Five people have narrowly escaped a major house fire overnight at Mount Riverview in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Seven Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) units, including an aerial platform, rushed to Outlook Avenue around 10 pm and found the top floor of the two-level home well ablaze. FRNSW urges the public The uninjured residents managed to self-evacuate before the top floor collapsed. One of the occupants, suffering shock, was transported to the hospital. Firefighters declared...

The bravery and dedication of 57 firefighters from the lower Hunter region during the Black Summer bushfire crisis have been recognized during a special Fire and Rescue NSW award function last night. FRNSW firefighters, from a range of fire stations across the Metropolitan North 3 region, have been awarded National Emergency Medals during the function at the Cessnock Leagues Club. They have been honored for their efforts in battling fires across the state and protecting communities dur...

Firefighters carried an unconscious man to safety from a burning home at Engadine, in Sydney's south, last night. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews were called to a house on fire in Dobell Road at 6.30 pm. Neighbors told firefighters a man was inside the burning, single-level home. crew commenced emergency care Firefighters quickly doused flames, which were leaping out of the front windows, then forced entry Firefighters quickly doused flames, which were leaping out of the front windows, the...

A family has been forced to shelter on an apartment balcony after an eScooter caught alight overnight at a home in Sydney's Inner West. The family was alerted to the fire in the unit's laundry by a working smoke alarm. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) arrived at the scene at Marine Drive, Chiswick, just before 4:30 am. The three occupants, two adults and a child, were forced to move to the balcony of the unit, as toxic smoke had made it impossible to exit via the front door, located next t...

A woman has escaped a house fire at Liverpool, in Sydney's south-west, today thanks to a working smoke alarm. The resident was inside the weatherboard home in Vincent Avenue when the alarm sounded around 2 pm now. She was able to self-evacuate and call Triple Zero "000". Firefighters arrived When firefighters arrived, the fire was well-developed and spreading through the home. The occupant informed the firefighters no-one else was inside. This allowed them to concentrate on dousing...

One person has died, and two children have been rescued by firefighters, from a house fire at Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands this morning. Shortly before 6:00 am, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) arrived at a house in Pimpala Place that was engulfed in flames, with persons reported inside. intense fire conditions FRNSW firefighters entered the structure under intense fire conditions, locating two children who they were able to remove safely, while another man was able to escape the fire unai...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) specialist fire investigators have determined that a fire that damaged three units in Villawood and resulted in the evacuation of 50 people was caused by an overload of power boards. FRNSW firefighters responded to a series of triple-zero calls to the unit complex on Woodville Road, just before 7:30 pm on Thursday evening. Resulted from the firefighting efforts Firefighters were confronted with a unit on the second floor of a three-level unit block engulfed in flam...

Specialist Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters remain at the Surry Hills fire scene, monitoring unstable walls with laser measuring tools and Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones. One external wall has moved 70 mm overnight, reinforcing the commitment to maintain the current exclusion zones for community safety. Light smoldering from deep within the rubble continues. It is not safe for firefighters to enter the structure to extinguish these fires. NSW Police Arson Squad FRNS...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) remote piloted aircraft (RPAS) have assisted building engineers and demolition experts to assess the damaged structure. With the structure too unsafe to enter, FRNSW Aviation Unit has used RPAS assets and technology to provide detailed imagery and video to engineers and demolition contractors. The imagery and video will assist contractors to develop a safe and effective plan to render the structure safe. FRNSW firefighters FRNSW firefighters remain on scene to ens...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is preparing for the make-safe demolition of the two buildings razed by last week's fire at Surry Hills, near the Sydney CBD. The historic multi-story factory site on Randle Street was engulfed in flames on Thursday, with more than 120 firefighters battling for several hours to control the blaze and save nearby buildings, including residential apartments. An exclusion zone is still in place as FRNSW crews monitor the stability of the remaining structure and smolderi...

A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is a customized evacuation strategy designed for individuals who might require additional support to reach a place of safety during an emergency, or who may not be able to do so within a reasonable timeframe without assistance. A PEEP highlights the necessary extra aid or specific arrangements to help the individual, as well as those around them, to make sure they understand what actions to take during an evacuation to ensure everyone’s safety....

City of London Police has improved the way it protects vulnerable children, but further changes are needed to help keep them safe, a new report has found. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that since its last inspection of the City of London Police’s child protection services in 2019, the force had worked to address some of the concerns raised. Several areas still require improvement The inspectorate said improvements include...

British Transport Police is recording an outstanding 97.9 percent of crimes committed across the network, the police inspectorates have said. An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by the British Transport Police This compares to a national accuracy of around 90 per cent of crime recorded for all police forces in England and Wales. Accurate crime recording helps forces prioritize investigations by using suitably skilled staff to give victims the service they deserve. It also...

Thames Valley Police has improved its performance over a demanding 18 months, but there are still areas of concern, the police inspectorate has said. PEEL 2021/22: Inspection of Thames Valley Police Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services graded Thames Valley Police’s performance across nine areas of policing and found the force was ‘good’ in three areas, ‘adequate’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in two...

Total Fire Group is pleased to announce that they have been appointed to Fusion21’s Building Safety and Compliance Framework. The framework’s goal is to provide businesses with a head start on emerging legislation, particularly in relation to fire safety and building safety. It covers surveys, planned and responsive maintenance, installation, and upgrades.   It can be accessed by all public sector organizations, from local authorities straight through to the central govern...

The UK government has made a pledge to strengthen fire safety in all residential and commercial regulated buildings in England, in its response to last year’s fire safety consultation. As part of the new measures, limitless fines will be handed out to anyone caught obstructing or impersonating a fire inspector, as well as to those who breach fire safety regulations under the Fire Safety Order. Fire safety regulations Changes to fire safety regulations will be brought into effect via the...

The fire risk assessment software is designed to make the whole process of fire risk assessment much quicker and easier. Through working in the industry and because of the years of experience, they know about all the inefficiencies, obstacles and time-consuming processes that can be involved in the fire risk assessment process. And they decided to do something about it. Fire risk management software With Aurora, they can help boost productivity and make fire safety management as straightforwa...

Ensuring workplaces are COVID-19 safe has been of the utmost importance for business owners, but the need to ensure that workplaces continue to be a fire-safe environment is still just as important. When people are allowed back into offices and workspaces, businesses must keep in mind that they need to prevent, protect, and respond to workplace fire incidents in line with regulations and guidelines.   Fire risk assessments and emergency plans It’s vital for employers to review...