Father, son lose everything but the dog in East Corrimal townhouse inferno

Thick, black smoke was billowing high into the air over the suburb as multiple firefighting units arrived at a block of townhouses on Turner Esplanade at 8.15am on Saturday, March 30.

"As we were driving down we could see the column of smoke," Fire and Rescue NSW Corrimal Captain Paul Dorin said.

Other townhouses in the string of properties were at risk and firefighters rushed to prevent flames from spreading.

"It was really close so we had a crew on that straight away," Captain Dorin said.

"It was a single level house [on fire] but it was a two-storey one next door.

"We stopped it spreading to the house next door, but there was a fair bit of smoke damage."

An off-duty firefighter was returning from the beach when he saw the blaze, and he was among many people who called triple-0 to report the emergency.

"He spotted it and made sure the dog was safe," Captain Dorrin said.

A man and his adult son who lived in the townhouse were not home at the time the fire ignited.

Police were called in to investigate and the cause has since been determined to be accidental.

"It started in the bedroom and it was accidental," Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Chad Wallace said.

Firefighters are so concerned about the number of house fires in the Illawarra, they've teamed up with the Illawarra Mercury to provide free smoke alarms (including free installation) and fire safety advice for residents.

There is no catch, the smoke alarm is free and so is the fire safety advice.

If you're reading this story on your mobile phone click here to book, otherwise scan the QR code below to request a free smoke alarm.