Fire Rips Through East Maitland Home

BY IAN CROUCH

Investigations are continuing into a fire which destroyed a home at East Maitland.

Fire crews from East Maitland  responded to several triple oh calls to an abandoned house in Fieldsend Street just before 2.30am on Wednesday, arriving to find the single level home well alight.

Extra crews were brought in from Maitland, Tarro, Morpeth and Rutherford.

It's taken about half an hour to contain the blaze, which destroyed about 70 percent of the home.

Officers from the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District are looking into the circumstances leading up to the blaze.

Initial inquires suggest there are no suspicious circumstances.

Bushfire Threatens Stockton Residents

BY IAN CROUCH

Anxious Stockton residents have breathed a sigh of relief as a bushfire came within 150 metres of homes yesterday afternoon.

The blaze broke out just before 1.30pm and burnt through 4 hectares near Fort Wallace fanned by strong winds before being brought under control.

Heavy smoke from the fire blocked Fullerton Street for about two hours, with 10 fire trucks deployed to fight the blaze.

Thick Smoke Blows Across Fullerton Street Picture; theherald.com.au

House Destroyed By Fire At Woodberry

BY IAN CROUCH

Fire has destroyed a home at Woodberry overnight.

Six fire trucks from Minmi, Tarro, Mayfield West and East Maitland were called to the single storey weatherboard and tile home on Tahlee Avenue just after 2.00am on Friday to find the unoccupied and boarded-up house engulfed in flames.

It's taken about 40 minutes to bring the fire under control, with crews wrapping up at the scene just before 4 o'clock.

Police are treating the fire as suspicious.

Police Investigate Singleton House Fire

BY IAN CROUCH

Hunter Valley police are investigating the cause of a fire which severely damaged a home at Singleton.

Four fire trucks from Singleton, Branxton and a Support Vehicle from Newcastle were called to the single storey timber and iron home in Bourke Street just before 12.30am on Tuesday to find the house well alight and flames through the roof.

Two occupants managed to self-evacuate without injury.

It's taken more than an hour to bring the blaze under control, with crews mopping up hot spots until just before 3.00am.

One Dead In Firey Truck Crash At Cooranbong

BY IAN CROUCH

The M1 Pacific Motorway has been reopened more than 14 hours after a firey truck crash which claimed the life of a male driver at Cooranbong.

Emergency services were called to the southbound lanes of the freeway about one kilometre south of the Freemans Drive Interchange just before 1.00pm on Monday.

Three trucks including a fuel tanker collided causing a massive explosion and fire - a car was also destroyed in the blaze which also started a bushfire which burnt through 16 hectares.

It's believed a southbound truck clipped another parked by the side of the freeway before another truck and the car crashed into the wreckage.

The drivers of the other vehicles escaped serious injury.

M1 Inferno Picture: Fairfax

Fire Engulfs Recycling Centre At Mayfield West

BY IAN CROUCH

Fire has engulfed a recycling centre at Mayfield West overnight.

Emergency services were called to the Benedict Recycling Centre in McIntosh Drive just after 8.30pm on Thursday to find the factory warehouse well alight.

Dozens of firefighters from around the region and the Central Coast have battled the blaze through the night using a blanket of foam to try to knock down the flames.

Nearby residents reported smelling thick acrid smoke in the area and crews are still at the scene.

A heavy fuel load is making it difficult to fully extinguish the blaze, with earthmoving equipment to be brought in at first light to break apart the large piles of recyclable material.

It's the second fire at the facility in three months, with crews taking more than 8 hours to extinguish a blaze which broke out on September 22.

Police have established a crime scene as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.

Benedict Recycling Centre Fire Picture: theherald.com.au

Benedict Recycling Centre Fire Picture: theherald.com.au

Car Crash Ravensworth: Updated

BY IAN CROUCH

Five people including a young child have been taken to hospital following a three vehicle crash at Ravensworth.

A truck and two cars collided on the New England Highway at about 4.45am on Tuesday.

Three ambulances transported four adults and a one year old child to hospital.

The most seriously injured was a 53-year-old man who sustained a suspected fractured wrist and a deep cut to his scalp - he was taken to the John Hunter Hospital.

The Ambulance Service says all the other patients were taken to Singleton and Muswellbrook Hospitals with only minor injuries.

The highway has since been re-opened to traffic.


EARLIER:
Emergency services have been called to reports of a three vehicle crash at Ravenswortth.

The crash happened on the New England Highway new the old New England Highway north of Ravensworth at about 4.45am on Tuesday.

Traffic is affected in both directions with a contra flow in place.

Vacy Man Killed at Mindaribba

UPDATE

A 36-year-old man has been tragically killed in a smash near Maitland this morning.

Emergency crews were called to Tocal Road at Mindaribba just after 6 o'clock following reports a car had slammed into a tree.

They arrived to find the Vacy man dead at the scene.

A report is being prepared for the Coroner while investigations continue.

BY IAN CROUCH

One person has died in a single vehicle crash at Mindaribba.

Emergency services were called to Tocal Road near the Mindaribba Railway Station at 6.15am on Monday to reports a car had slammed into a tree.

They arrived to find one person dead at the scene.

No other details are available at this stage.

Police Investigate Suspicious Fire At Muswellbrook

BY IAN CROUCH

Police are treating a fire which destroyed a house at Muswellbrook as suspicious.

Firefighters from Muswellbrook and Aberdeen were called to the unoccupied hardiplank and tile home on Richmond Street just before 1.00 am on Monday to find the house well alight.

It's taken about 2 hours to extinguish and mop up the blaze, although crews have been called back to put out hot spots which had caused the fire to re-ignite.

Police have set up a crime scene and forensic investigators from Newcastle will examine the scene later this morning.

Police Investigate Arason Attack On Waratah Unit

BY IAN CROUCH

A fire which guttered a unit at Waratah is being treated as suspicious.

Fire crews responded to several triple-oh calls to the two storey unit complex in Turton Road just 3.30pm on Monday to find both levels engulfed in flames.

Firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties, while children from a nearby pre-school were evacuated as a precaution.

Police have set up a crime scene after they found traces of accelerant - saying the fire appears to have been deliberately lit.

Fire Engulfs Waratah Unit Picture: triplem.com.au

Father And Three Children Treated For Smoke Inhaltion At Anna Bay

BY IAN CROUCH

A father and his three young children have been treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at their Anna Bay home last night.

The 32-year-old man was taking a shower in their Nelson Bay Road home at about 9pm when a smoke alarm went off.

He rushed out of the shower to find thick smoke in the bedroom of his 1-year-old daughter and managed to rescue her.

The man called out to his father-in-law in an adjacent house to come and help and they removed his other two children aged 3 and 5.

The two men managed to put out the fire with an extinguisher and a garden hose before fire crews arrived.

It's believed an electrical fault in a lamp sitting on a change table sparked the blaze, which caused only minor damage to the home.

Truck Fire Closes Northbound Lanes Of Pacific Highway North Of Karuah

BY IAN CROUCH

A truck accident and fire has closed the northbound lanes of the Pacific Highway north of Karuah.

Newcastle Fire Command says a semi trailer carrying a load of paper overturned just before 1.30 on Thursday morning between Tarean Road and the Karuah River.

The driver suffered head injuries and has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

Several fire trucks and RFS units are at the scene.

It's expected the highway will remain closed for some hours.

Northbound traffic is being diverted at Tarean Road.

Car And Shed Destroyed In Sandgate Fire

BY IAN CROUCH

Quick work by fire crews has stopped a shed fire spreading to a house at Sandgate this morning.

Newcastle Fire Command says they received several triple-oh calls just before 6.30am arriving to find a shed on a property in Wallsend Road well alight.

The shed and a car inside the shed were destroyed, but a house on the property was untouched.

Crews from Mayfield West and Lambton took about 30 minutes to extinguish the fire.

No-one was home at the time and police are trying to locate the owner of the car.

Garage Destroyed By Fire At Anna Bay

By IAN CROUCH

An investigation is under way into the cause of a fire which destroyed a garage and its contents at Anna Bay.

Fire crews were called to Morna Point Road just before 2.00am on Tuesday to find a detached tin garage well alight.

The intense heat from the fire caused damage to the side of a house at the property.

One person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

It's taken crews about 30 minutes to extinguish and mop up the fire.

Diesel Spill On Lake Macquarie

BY IAN CROUCH

Quick work by firefighters has contained a large diesel spill on Lake Macquarie overnight.

A resident on a boat moored at Wyee Point Marine raised the alarm when he noticed a strong smell of fuel at about 7.30pm on Sunday.

Crews arrived and placed booms around a 25 litre spill with the help of an RFS fire tender boat moored at the marina.

They traced the source of the spill to a nearby vessel and plugged a leak in the boat.

Crews will return this morning to retrieve the booms once they've absorbed the fuel.

RFS Tender Used To Help Contain Diesel Spill

Centre Of Singleton Brought To A Standstill By Firey Truck Crash

BY IAN CROUCH

The New England Highway through Singleton has been closed after a serious truck crash involving 8 cars at Singleton.

The crash occurred just before 9.00am with a semi-trailer loaded with mushroom compost ploughing into several cars on the highway near Burdekin Park before crashing into the Royal Hotel and bursting into flames.

The NSW Ambulance Service says paramedics are treating 4 patients at the scene, two have serious injuries. One, a 63-year-old woman suffered leg and pelvic fractures, while a 67-year-old male patient has head and chest injuries.

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue helicopter has been dispatched to the scene

It's understood the truck was stolen earlier this morning from the BP service station at Murrurundi while the owner driver was paying for fuel.

Police say the truck was allegedly sighted driving erratically south along the New England Highway, through Muswellbrook and towards Singleton but a pursuit was not initiated.

As the truck approached Singleton, officers deployed road spikes in order to stop the vehicle.

Police say the truck continued into George Street, Singleton, where it caught fire after crashing into several vehicles and buildings, injuring a number of people.

The driver of the alleged stolen truck was arrested at the scene and is currently assisting police with inquiries.

A critical incident team from Port Stephens Local Area Command will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident including the deployment of road spikes.
 

Stolen Truck Erupts In Fireball At Singleton Picture: the herald.com.au

Car Overturns In Bad Crash At Branxton

BY IAN CROUCH

A man has been taken to hospital after a bad smash at Branxton early Thursday.

The 60-year-old was driving on the New England Highway just before 12.30am when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a power pole.

The force of the crash was so great, the car ended up on its roof hanging over the guard rail.

The driver was found barely conscious lying on the inside roof of the car.

He was taken the John Hunter Hospital by road ambulance in a serous condition.

Several People Rescued As Fire Engulfs Unit Block At The Hill

BY IAN CROUCH

Nine people have been rescued after fire engulfed a unit block at The Hill on Wednesday night.

Firefighters were called to the two storey public housing complex in Newcomen Street just before 8.30pm to find a ground floor unit well alight.

Several people were trapped in the units above as thick smoke and flames engulfed the building with residents heard screaming for help.

Dozens of firefighters from the across the city responded to the blaze.

A woman who suffered a cut to her hand and smoke inhalation was taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

The ground floor unit was destroyed while several units above sustained fire damage and were heavily impacted by smoke and heat.

Police are treating the fire as suspicious, with a 30-year-old woman arrested on unrelated matters.

Fire Crews At The Scene Of The Fire Picture: theherald.com.au

Woman Rescued From Burning Home At Woodberry

BY IAN CROUCH

Firefighters have rescued a woman from her burning home at Woodberry overnight.

Emergency Services were called to a single level hardiplank home on Woodberry Road just before 1.30am on Monday to find the house well alight.

Newcastle Fire Command says a woman was removed from the burning building and treated at the scene by paramedics but refused to go hospital.

It's taken almost 3 hours to extinguish and mop up the fire which is believed to have started in the kitchen.

Fire Crews Extinguish Deliberately Lit Fires At Lake Macquarie

BY IAN CROUCH

Firefighters were kept busy with several grass and bushfires in the Hunter over the weekend as temperatures soared into the mid 30's.

Crews battled three separate fires at Bennetts Green, Windale and Gateshead early on Saturday morning.

They are being treated as suspicious.

Around 25 firefighters were called to a large bushfire at Fletcher on Sunday afternoon.

Crews were sent to Weller Street just before 2.30pm and had the blaze under control before the wind whipped up the flames again.

The fire burnt through 1000 hectares before being contained - no homes were under threat.

A Total Fire Ban is in force again until midnight on Monday with the fire danger rated very high.