6yo home alone caught in horror house fire

A six-year-old boy left at home alone was forced to smash a window before he was rescued from a fire that destroyed his home.

NSW Fire and Rescue said crews were called to a two-level townhouse fire on Rodley Ave in Penrith just after 6pm on Saturday.

A spokesperson said a 6-year-old boy had been pulled from the home before firefighters arrived at the scene.

NSW Police said a pedestrian noticed the fire and helped pull the boy out of the building after he had smashed a window trying to escape.

The boy suffered a laceration to his foot and was taken to Nepean Hospital by paramedics for treatment.

Police said that the child was home alone when the fire erupted and his mother had arrived home a short time after his dramatic rescue.

Eight fire trucks along with 30 firefighters took “a couple of hours” to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the house in western Sydney.

Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said a lit candle was the suspected source of the blaze, and warned others not to leave open flames unsupervised.

“It doesn’t take long for a fire to take hold in a home,” Superintendent Dewberry said.

“If you are using a candle, it’s so simple for a fire to ignite and take hold.”

Police said a child-at-risk notification will be submitted.