Man escapes house fire in Sydney’s north-west

A man has escaped a house fire in Sydney’s north-west.

Shortly after 8pm yesterday a fire broke out in a home at Cornwallis, 63.5 km north-west of Sydney on the Hawkesbury River.

Almost 40 firefighters worked to contain the fire, which caused 75 percent of the home to collapse onto its foundations.

Fire crews battled strong, gusty southerly winds and the presence of gas cylinders which had to be kept cool to avoid exploding.

The blaze was contained 90 minutes after crews arrived.

The 45-year-old man who was inside the home escaped uninjured.

Inspector Kernin Lambert from Fire and Rescue NSW said the fire presented a number of challenges for attending crews.

“It’s been quite a difficult fire for our crews to attack because the fire is elevated on the second level of the house," said Inspector Lambert.

“We’ve had a major collapse occur at the height of the fire. The whole time we’ve been fighting this fire we’ve had to keep the gas cylinders cool to prevent an explosion."

Fire investigators are now working to establish the cause of the fire, with preliminary reports indicating it may have started in a nearby caravan.