A FAULTY gas refrigerator has sparked a fierce fire that destroyed a caravan.
A smoke alarm inside the caravan at Soldiers Point alerted its owner - who lived nearby - that it had caught alight while parked on a grass verge just before 2pm on Wednesday.
The quick-thinking man dialled triple zero and detached the caravan from the car it was hooked up to on Soldiers Point Road at Port Stephens.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews rushed to the scene and managed to stop the fire from spreading.
Backed by Rural Fire Service volunteers, the caravan fire was extinguished within about 45 minutes.
Despite the best efforts of firefighters, the flames ripped through the caravan and destroyed it.
No one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported.
FRNSW firefighters determined the fire was sparked by a faulty gas fridge inside.
"Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is an excellent fuel for heating, cooking and powering camping refrigerators, and is safe if used and maintained correctly," Superintendent Adam Dewberry said.
"However, if stored or used incorrectly it can become extremely dangerous."
He urged people with LPG equipment to ensure it was inspected regularly.
"Fires are too often caused by a faulty or loose connection," he said.
He said it was a timely reminder how important working smoke alarms were.
NSW legislation requires caravans to have at least one smoke alarm where the bed is inside the caravan, and another in an annex if there are people sleeping in one.
