A candle placed on a verandah was blown over by the wind, burning down a home on NSW’s east coast

A house on the east coast of New South Wales was destroyed by fire because a candle had been left burning on the verandah and had been blown over by the wind.

On Sunday, shortly after 8.30 a.m., three persons were forced to flee to their garden after a candle they had left burning unattended was blown over, kindling a nearby couch.

In Merewether, NSW, seven emergency vehicles were dispatched to the location of a house fire on Caldwell Street within minutes.

According to Fire and Rescue NSW, the wind blew the candle over, starting a fire on the couch, which swiftly spread to the kitchen and living room.

Within an hour of arriving on the scene, firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW had rescued the family from the burning garden and brought the fire under control.

The damage, however, had been done, with the single-story house utterly destroyed by the intense fire.

While smoke alarms alerted people to the incident, Fire and Rescue NSW urged the public to check their smoke alarms.

Firefighters in New South Wales will gladly assess your property, at no cost to you, to look for potential fire hazards and recommend any necessary safety measures.