Police have confirmed a five-year-old girl has died and an elderly woman has suffered serious burns after a fire tore through a home at Lake Macquarie.
Police were still at the scene early on Friday and a section of Northcote Avenue at Swansea remained closed following the horror fire on Thursday afternoon.
The house was occupied by an 87-year-old woman and two five-year-old girls, police said.
One of the girls was found during a search of the home and was unable to be revived.
Police have been told the other girl was uninjured.
Police have praised the actions of a teenage boy who was injured trying to gain entry to the property during the fire.
The 16-year-old boy suffered cuts to his leg and was also taken to hospital for treatment.
Acting Lake Macquarie Police superintendent Lisa Jones praised the boy's actions.
"It was a very selfless act by that young person," she said late on Thursday.
At least 40 firefighters, along with multiple NSW Ambulance units and police, were called to the house on Northcote Avenue about 1.30pm.
Firefighters found the property engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to an adjoining house.
Several brave people put their lives on the line yesterday. Do you know more? Email [email protected]
The elderly woman was taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition, suffering burns.
A hospital source said on Thursday evening that the woman was in a stable condition.
A 37-year-old man who had forced entry to the home to assist was not injured.
The fire has been extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters, a crime scene has been established and the home is being assessed by an engineer.
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Police said support was being made available to the family.
Police declined to comment on the cause of the fire, or confirm details of the relationship between the occupants other than that they lived together, and said a protracted investigation was in progress.
The fire was so intense, and damage to the property so severe, firefighters were initially unable to gain access, NSW Fire and Rescue acting superintendent Peter Murray said.
"It's a very tragic incident for our emergency services, particularly some of our on-call firefighters who are a part of the community," he said.
"They tried desperately to gain entry to the house, but unfortunately, due to the severity of the fire and the intensity and the risk of structural collapse inside, they were initially not able to get into the house.
"The fire was extinguished as much as possible prior to them getting in.
"When they have got in, that is when they found the deceased person inside."
NSW Fire and Rescue commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the brigade was mourning the tragedy.
"We send our deepest condolences to the child's family and to the whole community," he said in a statement.
"Firefighters are trained to deal with the most difficult situations, but incidents involving children are especially confronting.
"Today has placed a tragic spotlight on the dangers of winter house fires and reminded us just how quickly flames can take hold."
Plumes of thick smoke blanketed the neighbourhood, about 27 kilometres south of Newcastle, throughout the afternoon as emergency services established an exclusion zone. Some neighbouring residents were also evacuated for their safety.
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said the tragedy was being felt profoundly in the community.
"I am devastated by the tragic loss of a young child in Swansea this afternoon," Ms Catley wrote on social media.
"This happened in the heart of our community."
"My thoughts are with the family as they face an unimaginable loss, and I am hoping for the recovery of those who remain in hospital."
She said she acknowledged the efforts of emergency services and those who came to help as demonstrating "extraordinary bravery".
"I know this is having a profound impact on people locally; we all have heavy hearts," she said.
"In times like these, I encourage everyone to hug those they love and be kind to those around them."
Pat Conroy, whose federal seat takes in Swansea and the Caves Beach area, echoed his state counterpart's comments.
"My thoughts are with our Lake Macquarie community, and especially the families involved in this incident," he wrote online.
