Susan Brown was out at lunch about 2pm when she received an urgent phone call from her 22-year-old son Clinton. 

“He said, ‘the house is on fire!’,” Mrs Brown said. 

“I thought he was joking but then, his voice ...”

The fire lit up the home’s first-storey veranda and spread into the main bedroom, setting the blinds alight and catching the bed.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Unanderra and Dapto extinguished the blaze before it spread further into the house.

Ms Brown searched through thick smoke to find her two cats, which are believed to have fled to safety.

She said she was grateful her 88-year-old mother, who suffers dementia, was not home at time. 

A nearby resident saw the fire in its early stages and alerted her son, she said. 

“He saw it come down and started bashing on the door. It’s lucky [Clinton] heard him because he was right out the back of the house and downstairs. 

“I’m just so appreciative. It could have been a lot worse. This is only possessions we’ve lost.

“My dogs would have been on the bed when [the fire began].”

An initial report – since found to be incorrect – indicated the fire began in a barbecue on the veranda.

After speaking to firefighters, Mrs Brown believes the cause of the blaze was electrical. 

“I really want to thank the police and fire brigade for responding so quickly,” she said. 

“And the guy who [raised the alarm] – Daniel from number 65.”