Fire Industry News for June 2025

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), Police and Ambulance rescue teams are continuing pain-staking efforts to clear debris from the scene of the explosion and townhouse collapse at Whalan in Sydney’s west. The first responders are trying to determine whether anyone remains trapped under the ruins of the collapsed two-story building. A woman remains unaccounted for. Dozens of FRNSW Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) technicians, including firefighters who responded to last year’s earthquake disa...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has ended its search and rescue operation after the discovery of a body at the site of the Whalan townhouse collapse. Much of the scene was cleared of debris after a pain-staking weekend operation involving FRNSW, Police Rescue and specialist NSW Ambulance officers. FRNSW Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Using special core drills, technicians then made holes in the larger concrete slabs FRNSW Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) experts propped up a dangerously-perched fi...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is continuing to combat a fire at an animal feed manufacturing facility in Bomaderry on the state’s South Coast. FRNSW firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at the facility in Bolong Road just before 9.30 am on Monday. On arrival, the crews found a smouldering fire in a silo, containing 600 tons of pelletised and powdered feed. Mitigating the situation Although the deep seated fire in the silo continues to smoulder, firefighters have stabilized th...

A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) truck has been decorated with distinctive indigenous artwork to commemorate Reconciliation Week. The design is a joint collaboration by first nations FRNSW firefighters, Muliyan Waters, Shawn Orcher, and Brodee Mate, who worked together at Redfern Fire Station. The truck will be publicly unveiled from midday tomorrow, the first day of winter, at the Sydney Swans Fan Day, at The Plaza, between the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion at Moore Park. Fi...

A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew, specially trained in drone use, has located a person missing in bushland near Pitt Town, on Sydney’s north-western outskirts. NSW Police had a concern for the welfare of the man seen entering bushland, but a ground search into the night proved unsuccessful. They requested the assistance of FRNSW, which dispatched a crew from Leura in the Blue Mountains to the scene off Airstrip Road. Use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems The firefighters are specia...

Firefighters, NRL stars and other top athletes are urging households across the state to make sure they have working smoke alarms fitted in their homes, as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) launches its annual Winter Fire Safety Campaign.  New figures reveal that last winter, nearly half (49%) of the 1080 homes that were impacted by fire did not have a working smoke alarm, or any alarm, in place. Most residential fires Residential fires last winter occurred in Canterbury-Banksto...

Media outlets are invited to attend the local launch of Smoke Alarm Action Day, an initiative designed to combat complacency around fire safety in the home. The Action Day, on Saturday 1 June, will kick off Fire and Rescue NSW’s 2024 Winter Fire Safety Campaign. FRNSW is concerned that over the past two winters, half the homes damaged by fire in NSW, either weren’t fitted with a smoke alarm or if they were present, they were not in working order. This initiative will encou...

Emergency Services Minister, Jihad Dib, will join FRNSW Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, and RFS Assistant Commissioner, Stuart Midgley, at a media conference to launch Smoke Alarm Action Day, aimed at combating public complacency this winter. Figure of missing alarms In winter 2022, of the 959 residential fires in NSW, 50% of homes did not have a smoke alarm fitted or the alarm present wasn’t working. A record 17 people died that season. Last winter, the figure of missing/inoperative ala...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) continue to combat a silo fire at a food manufacturing facility in Bomaderry, on the state’s south coast. FRNSW firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm activation at the facility in Bolong Road just before 9.30 am. On arrival, the crews found a smouldering fire in a silo, containing 600 tonnes of grain pellets.  HAZMAT and rescue teams Bolong Road has been closed in both directions, and nearby businesses have been evacuated FRNSW crews, a scie...

Recently-installed smoke alarms have saved the lives of a family of 10 during an overnight house fire at Macquarie Fields in Sydney’s south-west. Three Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) trucks and 12 firefighters initially responded to the blaze in the two-level house around 2.15 this morning. They called in another two fire trucks and crews as the fire took hold of the home. new smoke alarms FRNSW crews returned to the house around 6.30 am when the fire re-ignited in the roof FRNSW cre...

A man, suffering from smoke inhalation, has been admitted to hospital after an e-bike fire in a unit block at Revesby, in Sydney's south-west, overnight.  The blaze broke out in a garage beneath a two-level block of apartments in Doyle Road, around 1.15 am. Effects of smoke inhalation When crews from two Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) appliances arrived on scene, they found a man, believed to be 70-years-old, suffering the effects of smoke inhalation after trying to extinguish the flames hi...

Fifteen people have been evacuated during a silo fire at a food manufacturing facility in Bomaderry, on the state’s south coast.  Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm activation in Bolong Road, just before 9.30 am. FRNSW on-site staff On arrival, the crews found a smouldering silo, containing 600 tonnes of grain On arrival, the crews found a smouldering silo, containing 600 tons of grain. FRNSW is working with on-site staff to mechanically...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have responded to a shopping centre at Swansea, at Lake Macquarie, where a car has careered into a store. The incident occurred just after 9.30 this morning at the rear of the Pacific Highway property. The driver appears to have lost control of the Ford in the shopping centre car park and the vehicle has ploughed through the wall of a Haberdashery shop, a local, family-owned business for more than 55 years. Swansea Fire Station Two people inside the stor...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has installed a new $470,000 state-of-the-art firefighting truck at Young, in the state’s Hilltops region, enhancing its emergency response and rescue capabilities in the local community. The Compressed Air Foam System (CAFs) Class 2 Pumper allows firefighters to tackle structural, chemical, petrol, and grass fires using up to five times less water than normal. Best equipment and technology The highly efficient system combines foam concentrate with compressed...

Four people have escaped an intense house fire, possibly caused by an e-scooter on charge, at Narraweena, on Sydney’s northern beaches. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters responded to the blaze in Ronald Avenue, just after 4 am. On arrival, the crews were confronted with smoke billowing from the single-storey home. Defensive strategy A collapsing roof and extreme heat prevented the crews from entering the house A collapsing roof and extreme heat prevented the crews from ente...

A stalwart of Oberon Fire Station, Firefighter - Peter Ryan, is celebrating 60 years of continuous service with Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW). The service marked the occasion with a barbecue at the station on Monday night, with Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, and Assistant Commissioner - Regional Operations, Cheryl Steer, in attendance to express their gratitude. NSW Fire Brigades Peter has been awarded a second gold clasp to the NSW Fire Brigades Long Service In recognition of the significant...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters have released the driver of a small truck that crashed into a house in Bexley this morning. The accident occurred around 6.30 am on the corner of Forest Road and Mimosa Street. The man is believed to have suffered minor injuries and has been transported to the hospital for further assessment. A family of four was safely evacuated from the property with no injuries. The house was extensively damaged in the incident, and the council and other governme...

A working smoke alarm has saved a woman's life during a fierce house fire at Hamilton in Newcastle. Fifteen Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) units from across Newcastle, including an aerial platform and Rescue and HAZMAT trucks, responded to the single storey home, in Bennett Street around 2.15 am. Wearing breathing apparatus Firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, battled the third alarm blaze as it engulfed the property. The woman's life was saved when she was woken in bed by her smoke alarm...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters have entered a burning home at Minnamurra, on the state’s south coast, and rescued a pet dog, sheltering under a chair. FRNSW crews from Kiama, Shellharbour and Albion Park responded to the house fire on Charles Avenue along with NSW Ambulance shortly, before 7 pm on Tuesday.  Time for a safe evacuation Firefighters commenced a search of the home once the blaze was under control. After several sweeps, one of the firefighters followed their i...

Investigations are underway into the cause of a fire that has destroyed a dry cleaning business on Sydney's Northern Beaches. More than 60 Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters and 16 appliances, as well as a Mobile Command Center and specialist ladder and hazardous material trucks, were called to the incident in Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale, around 9.30 last night. Front and rear of the premises Fire was issuing from the windows in both the front and rear of the premises and through the...

Firefighters at Grafton have received a new multi-purpose Tanker to handle emergencies in the state’s Northern Rivers. Valued at $660,000, the Mercedes Atego Class 1 Tanker is a 'jack of all trades' fire engine. It features a ‘pump and roll’ capability that allows it to tackle grass fires and bushfires while moving. It also boasts a ‘HALO’ sprinkler cabin protection system, designed to spray water over the cab to protect the crew from enveloping flames during a bus...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have used a high-tech Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), or drone, to assess the stability of an alleged clandestine drug lab, rocked by an explosion at Chester Hill, in Sydney’s south-west. The explosion in the two-storey house in Curtis Road occurred around 1 am yesterday morning (Wednesday, 8 May). FRNSW’s Aviation Unit FRNSW crews rushed to the home and extinguished a small fire before handing the scene to NSW Police FRNSW crews rushed...

The Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew at Gundagai, in the state’s Riverina, has welcomed a new multi-purpose tanker. The Mercedes Atego Class 1 tanker, valued at $660,000, has been delivered to the town’s fire station and the crew has spent the last few days familiarising itself with the vehicle. Pump-and-roll capability Regarded as a ‘jack of all trades’ truck for FRNSW, the Class 1 is capable of traveling off-road to reach fire scenes. It boasts a ‘pump-and-rol...

A local business in Deniliquin has been formally recognized for supporting Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) for more than 30 years. Purtill Group was presented with a Primary Employer Recognition Award by FRNSW Commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, as part of its St Florian’s Day ceremony at City of Sydney Fire Station on Saturday (4 May). On-call firefighters to incidents Employers provide flexibility to enable on-call firefighters to respond to incidents, join strike teams The family-owned and o...

Firefighters have helped rescue a family of four, trapped in a house crushed by a large tree during last night's rainstorm at Avalon Beach, on Sydney's northern beaches. A 35-year-old man was putting an 11-month-old toddler to bed just after 8.30 last night, when the tree crashed through the roof of the Kevin Avenue home. Neighbors reported the family's screams for help after the near miss. A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew from Avalon was quickly on the scene along with Police, NSW Ambulance...

Fire and water normally don’t mix, but tonight will see a team of firefighters go ‘head-to-head’ with the famous Bondi Icebergs club in a swimming challenge to honour a local ‘legend.’ Edward ‘Ted’ Mulhall, a stalwart of the Icebergs swimming club, was also a retired Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Superintendent, who had his silver firefighter helmet cut in half when he called ‘time’ on his 39-year career in Sydney. Firefighting team to showca...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is throwing open its doors for its annual Open Day on Saturday, 11 May 2024 and urging the community to ‘be fire safe’ to help protect themselves and their loved ones. Many fire stations across NSW will be open from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm with a range of free activities including firefighting demonstrations, station tours and safety presentations. Fire trucks and firefighting Families can also see the fire trucks and firefighting and rescue equipment up cl...

Smoke from planned hazard reduction burns being undertaken by fire agencies and land managers and across the weekend may settle in areas including the South Coast, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Narrabri, Warrumbungle and Sydney regions. Forecast light winds, along with forecast overnight inversions, will see residual smoke from these burns settle in some areas over the next few days, especially on Sunday morning. These are important controlled burns which will reduce the risk to people and...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have sharpened their emergency skills during a road crash training drill at Lake Macquarie this week. Firefighters from Morisset and Toronto FRNSW stations joined NSW Ambulance and the Rural Fire Service, responding to a local, mass casualty simulation involving a bus and four-wheel drive earlier in the week. Other local emergency services The training operation not only allowed the firefighters to fine-tune their rescue skills The scenario required the &ldq...

A ferocious fire has destroyed a townhouse in Doonside in western Sydney. More than 30 Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters and eight appliances, including an aerial pumper, were called to a row of townhouses in Belus Way after the blaze broke out around 7.00 am. One of the townhouses was engulfed in flames, causing the roof to collapse. It took firefighters around 30 minutes to control and extinguish the fire, which had also spread to the roof cavity of an adjoining property. NSW Police a...