Fire sparked by electrical fault destroys Sydney home

A woman and a 10-year-old boy have had a narrow escape from a house fire in Sydney.

Emergency services were called to the Longueville property on the lower north shore just before 8pm last night.

By the time firefighters arrived at the house, both storeys of the home were engulfed.

A roof collapse made the fire hard to control, and it took 30 firefighters much of the night to contain the flames.

A crane was used to douse flames from above, with fears they were going to jump to neighbouring properties.

“I was inside my house talking to some friends and then I smelled the smoke and came outside and saw the flames from the house. I spoke to my mum and called triple zero,” a neighbour told 9NEWS.

The 49-year-old and 10-year-old inside were not hurt but the home has been destroyed.

The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Fire investigators will investigate further today.