Updated July 30, 2026 — 9:43am,first published 12:01am
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
AAA
A 16-year-old boy is believed to be among the three people killed in a fire that tore through a granny flat in Sydney’s south-west on Wednesday night.
Firefighters discovered the bodies of the people – who investigators believe are a 52-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman and the teenager, the usual occupants of the home – after being called to the Cornelia Street address in Wiley Park about 9.45pm on Wednesday.
Investigators work to identify the three people killed in the fire.KATE GERAGHTY
The property was decimated by the fire, which erupted only metres from a neighbouring apartment building.Nine
First responders encountered a “very challenging scene”, according to Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell, whose entry to the granny flat were slowed by a range of obstacles – including dozens of plants, garden pots, buckets and wood planks – stacked across the property’s side path and garden.
Footage captured on Wednesday night shows the granny flat engulfed in flames, which rose from the property as the fire closed in on the footpath.
The materials caught on fire as flames burst from the windows and exits of the house, further complicating what Fewtrell called a “very, very tough” emergency response.
“To lose three people in one fire like this is an absolute tragedy. It is devastating for the family of those people who have been lost last night,” Fewtrell said.
“It has a severe impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and the community in this area, and also provides an impact on the firefighters and the other emergency responders who attended the scene.”
Emergency responders will remain at the property on Thursday as investigations continue. KATE GERAGHTY
The video appears to be filmed from the back of the main house on the property, separated by a long footpath crossing past the garden.
The granny flat sits at the far end of the property, adjacent to an apartment building. Neighbours told AAP the family, yet to be formally identified, had been living at the property for around 20 years. The man’s mother lives in the main home and survived the incident.
A police officer watches on as detectives sweep through the Wiley Park granny flat on Thursday.KATE GERAGHTY
The fire tore through the flat at the back of the property on Wednesday night.KATE GERAGHTY
Forensic officers have swept the scene overnight, as investigators work with the extended family of the victims as they continue their enquiries.
Detectives are expected to remain at the scene for several hours on Thursday, as they work to understand the origins and circumstances of the fire.
A crime scene has been established by Campsie Police Area Command, ahead of a report being prepared for the coroner.
FRNSW attended 480 residential fires in the first six weeks of winter, and more than 2000 this year.
This included a fatal blaze in Randwick on July 7, when a woman in her late 70s was killed after a fire broke out in an Alison Road apartment.
Five days later, another person in their 70s was found dead after a fire broke out in a Wollongong suburb.
Fewtrell has encouraged residents to use the service’s free home fire safety visit program which includes smoke alarm checks.
“Regularly check your smoke alarm, always keep looking when cooking, keep a fire blanket and extinguisher in your kitchen, keep flammable materials a metre from the heater, and don’t overload power board or power points,” he said.
“Always check electric and heated blankets before turning them on, and look for frays, scorch marks, exposed wires or controller damage. If anything looks off, bin it.”
With AAP
Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
Sarah McPhee is the Overnight Homepage Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners