Photo Credit: Illawarra Mercury

A Corrimal resident lost their home and cat in a severe fire that required a dozen firefighters over an hour to control.

The blaze erupted around 5:45 PM on Saturday, June 15, on Yuill Avenue, prompting multiple emergency calls as flames engulfed the house and smoke filled the nearby streets and Corrimal CBD. When fire crews arrived, they found a single-level weatherboard home, thought to be a social housing property occupied by a woman in her 50s, fully ablaze.

The resident had already evacuated. Twelve firefighters from three trucks fought the fire externally due to the house’s intense involvement. A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman stated that although firefighters managed to knock down part of the house to gain entry, they had to withdraw when the roof began to collapse.

By around 7 PM, the fire was extinguished, but it had claimed a cat’s life and completely destroyed the house. Reports indicate that the resident owned several cats, with one seen perched on the frame of a blown-out window the following day.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the site has been handed over to the police, as is standard procedure for fires causing significant structural damage.