Winter often brings an increase in structure fires, with this year being no different. Firefighters responded to serious fires in houses and commercial premises in Booragul, Holmesville, Newcastle and Singleton last week.
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On Thursday, crews from Mayfield West and Lambton responded to a unit fire in Mayfield with reports of people trapped inside.
At the scene firefighters forced entry to the unit and conducted fire suppression and search activities.
Firefighter Ben Cleary, from Mayfield West, described the conditions as extremely complex due to the high fuel loads.
The large amount of furniture and other household and personal items, combined with large volumes of smoke made searching the house difficult.
Additional crews from Carrington and Newcastle were called to assist at the incident. Firefighters worked for more than an hour to contain the fire and complete a search of the unit.
The accumulation of possessions results in abnormally high fuel loads and provides a much greater fire risk.
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends those who are affected by hoarding should install smoke alarms, unblock exits, widen internal pathways and ensure safe cooking and heating areas.
If you or a family member is affected by hoarding, visit fire.nsw.gov.au for more information on available assistance and fire safety tips.
