A man has died in a house fire at Berkeley.
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The body is yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be the occupant, a man aged in his 70s.
The blaze broke out in the single-level, fibro home in Leicester Street, about 1.30pm Thursday.
Emergency responders, including the crews of six Fire and Rescue NSW trucks, six Ambulance NSW paramedics and 10 police officers, were on the scene within 10 minutes of the triple-0 call.
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Chad Wallace said the call-out was escalated to what was known as a second alarm house fire within minutes of the first alert, due to the large number of triple-0 calls streaming in from the public.
"Flames were bursting out of the roof before firefighters arrived," Inspector Wallace said.
"The house was 100 per cent filled with smoke, there were flames pouring out the front and back doors and windows.
"Despite that those heroic firefighters got in through the front and back doors with hose-lines and searched the property."
Flames spread to the roof of the house, part of which collapsed.
Firefighters prevented the 1000-plus degree blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties.
Inspector Wallace said the blaze was extinguished within about 30 minutes.
A neighbour named Bob said the man who lived in the home had been there more than 40 years, and kept to himself.
Bob said he became aware of the fire when a neighbour came and knocked on his door.
"When I come out, it was on fire... the flames were coming out of the window, they were pouring out of there."
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Inspector Wallace said the cause of the fire was not known.
"But we say it every winter, it's such a timely reminder that working smoke alarms save lives... A working smoke alarm gives occupants every opportunity to escape a house fire," he said.
Officers with Lake Illawarra Police District have begun an investigation into the circumstances of the fire.
Police and fire investigators will work together to determine the cause of the blaze, but it is not believed to have been suspicious.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The fire occured just a couple of blocks from another house fire that gutted a home in Cambridge Street three weeks ago.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
