Investigation under way after man dies in unit fire at Young

Emergency services were called to a unit on Stoneridge Street in Young just before 11pm after reports of a fire.

The fire was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews, but the property sustained significant damage.

Experts from FRNSW are working to determine the cause of the fire and whether a working smoke alarm had been installed inside the unit.

Four fire trucks and 20 firefighters from FRNSW and the Rural Fire Service (RFS), arrived at the scene to find the fire threatening to spread to an adjoining villa complex.

Crews acted swiftly to prevent the flames from extending to the neighbouring properties and discovered there was a resident unaccounted for.

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They extinguished the fire just after midnight and discovered the body of a 69-year-old man within the home.

He is yet to be formally identified.

Twenty other residents were safely evacuated from the villas at the height of the blaze.

Several of the villas will remain empty until a safety assessment has been completed.

Officers attached to The Hume Police District established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

As inquiries continue, police have urged anyone with CCTV footage or information about the incident to contact Young police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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