A family has lost everything after their Warilla home went up in flames Sunday evening.
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A 17-year-old girl was looking after her three siblings, including a toddler, when a smoke alarm went off in the hallway of their Spofforth Street home just after 5pm.
The children raced to a bedroom at the rear of the fibro NSW Housing property to find a mattress well alight.
"The fire took hold quickly and they were lucky to get out of the house unscathed," Fire and Rescue NSW Illawarra Duty Commander Andrew Erlik said.
They sounded the alarm and two fire trucks from Shellharbour and Warrawong stations arrived soon after to find the home fully involved in fire and the children safely outside, Mr Erlik said.
A HAZMAT crew and ambulance were also in attendance and the fire was extinguished about 5.40pm.
No one was injured, however the home was completely destroyed in the fire.
"What wasn't destroyed by fire was destroyed by heat and smoke," Mr Erlik said.
"The silver lining in a tragedy like this is that no one was hurt, however the occupants have lost everything but the clothes on their backs.
"Belongings like clothes and furniture are all replaceable, but you can't replace a life."
The children's parent, who was reportedly in Sydney at the time of the incident, was notified.
Crews left the house about 7pm after mopping up and conducting an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire.
The scene is now in the hands of Lake Illawarra District Police.
