Two seniors perish in separate house fires in Sydney and South Coast NSW

Overnight, two fatal house fires struck New South Wales, one in Villawood, Western Sydney, and another at a caravan park in Greenwell Point, east of Nowra. In Villawood, a cooking accident sparked the blaze; firefighters rescued a woman in her 50s, but a woman in her 70s later died from smoke inhalation at Liverpool Hospital, with investigators noting the absence of a working smoke alarm. At Greenwell Point, a fire erupted inside a mobile home, killing an elderly resident and injuring another man with serious burns and inhalation injuries, while crews managed nearby hazards such as gas cylinders.

Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell highlighted the growing toll of winter fire deaths, now 13 this season, and stressed the importance of functional smoke alarms, especially for older adults. Shoalhaven Rural Fire Service officer Anthony Ciccaldo described the rapid response that prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent units. Authorities are urging seniors and their families to request safety visits and free alarm installations.