Person missing after fire sweeps through northern beaches home

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One person is unaccounted for after a fire tore through a home in Sydney’s northern beaches on Friday morning, with close to two dozen firefighters on scene to combat a complex blaze.

Fire services were called to the home on Hilltop Road, Avalon at 1am on Friday following reports of a house fire, with flames venting through the roof as emergency services arrived at the scene.

Six fire trucks attended the blaze on Hilltop Road, Avalon.

Six fire trucks and 22 firefighters were battling the blaze on Friday morning, which has destroyed parts of the house and made it impossible for firefighters to enter the property.

One person believed to be a resident at the home is unaccounted for, though firefighters are unsure if that person was at the property at the time of the blaze.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said firefighting efforts were also complicated by the natural landscape of the property.

“It’s pretty complex landscape, we’ve got the front of the house at street level with the ground falling away at the rear of our home on stilts,” Dewberry said.

“There has been some structural collapse, and firefighters are unable to enter the building, as it continues to smoulder.”

Firefighters attempted to enter the property earlier on Friday but were forced to retreat due to the intensity of the fire.

Parts of the floor and roof have fallen away, prompting concerns that firefighters could fall up to five metres down a steep gully towards the back of the home.