'Caring' woman, 71, found dead after house fire on Sydney's northern beaches

The body of a "kind and caring" woman has been found after a fire ripped through her home on Sydney's northern beaches.

Emergency services were called to a house on Hilltop Road in Avalon Beach about 1am on Friday following reports of a fire.

Firefighters and police arrived at the scene to find 71-year-old Wendy Dyson's home completely alight.

READ MORE: Albanese touches down in New York ahead of first meeting with Trump

It took firefighters an hour to control the fire.

After the blaze was extinguished, police and fire crews worked to find Wendy.

Human remains had been found at the home following an "extensive search" yesterday, police said.

The remains are yet to be formally identified however police believe they belong to Wendy.

Wendy's family said they are "devastated and heartbroken" over the news.

"Wendy was incredibly kind and caring and dedicated her life to helping others," the family said in a statement.

"A former teacher, Wendy most recently worked part time teaching swimming to children with disability.

"Our family would like to request privacy during this very difficult time."

READ MORE: Optus has many questions to answer after another staggering failure

A crime scene has been established at the home and inquiries into the fire are ongoing.

Emergency services continued searching the home today.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.