A Forestville family has been left devastated after their Milham Crescent home was destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon, claiming the lives of their two pet dogs.
Emergency services were called to the single-level brick and tile property shortly after 4.15pm on Tuesday, 14 October, after reports of a house fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Forestville Station arrived to find flames shooting from the front of the home. Additional firefighters were quickly called in from Willoughby and Dee Why stations to assist with the blaze.
Neighbours reported hearing loud explosions coming from the property as the fire took hold.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus established two hose lines connected to street hydrants to fight the flames. As fire began breaking through the roof, crews entered the home to search for potential occupants.
The home’s four residents — two teenage boys and their parents — were not home when the fire broke out. The parents were travelling interstate, whilst the boys had been out at the time. Tragically, firefighters discovered the bodies of the family’s two pet dogs inside the property.
As the roof began collapsing above the front of the home where the fire originated, crews managed to bring the blaze under control. However, they were forced to pull down ceilings to extinguish flames that had spread through the roof cavity. The fire was declared fully extinguished just before 6.00pm.
The roof collapse left electrical wires hanging dangerously, requiring Ausgrid to disconnect power to the property. NSW Ambulance paramedics, including a Special Operations Paramedic and Inspector Mark Whittaker, attended the scene, though no injuries were reported.
When the teenage boys returned home, they were comforted by neighbours and friends who had gathered at the scene. Their parents were notified of the incident and were making urgent arrangements to return to Sydney.
The home has been left uninhabitable due to extensive fire damage.
Northern Beaches Police Area Command has established a crime scene and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.
Published 15-October-2025
