A man has tragically died following a fire at a residential unit in the Illawarra suburb of Berkeley, with police now treating the scene as a potential crime.
Fire crews discover grim scene
The fatal blaze broke out on the morning of Monday, January 5, 2026, at a single-storey unit. Multiple emergency calls were made around 9.23am, prompting a significant response from Fire and Rescue NSW crews across the region.
Warrawong Station Officer Tim Jones was among the first to arrive. He noted the scene was unusual, with minimal visible smoke for a unit fire. "There was not very much smoke for a unit fire, which is interesting," Station Officer Jones said. Residents were attempting to fight flames at the rear of the property with a garden hose upon the firefighters' arrival.
Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus entered the smoke-logged unit to search for occupants. They discovered the body of a man, believed to be in his 40s, in the front loungeroom.
Investigators probe suspicious circumstances
While the fire was contained to the one unit and did not spread, the nature of the blaze immediately raised questions. Station Officer Jones observed the fire's behaviour was atypical, suggesting a high fuel load from excessive furniture may have caused it to smoulder with heavy smoke rather than ignite fully due to a lack of oxygen.
Despite initial assessments, the cause is under intense scrutiny. Police have declared the incident a crime scene. A specialist accelerant detection dog and its handler were called from the Southern Highlands, and a fire investigator travelled from Sydney to examine the gutted unit.
FRNSW Inspector Andrew Barber described the damage as extensive, making the point of origin difficult to pinpoint. "It's pretty extensively burnt, from halfway up the walls to the roof," Insp Barber said.
Critical safety warnings issued
The investigation also revealed potential safety oversights. Crews did not hear the sound of a smoke alarm upon arrival, though it may have been destroyed by the fire. Inspector Barber used the tragedy to issue a vital reminder to the community.
He urged all residents to install and regularly test multiple working smoke alarms in their homes. Furthermore, he warned against charging devices with lithium-ion batteries overnight or in escape pathways, citing them as a growing fire risk.
Investigations by police and fire authorities are ongoing, as they work to determine the exact cause of the fire that claimed a man's life in Berkeley.
