The first day of winter was a busy one for Newcastle firefighters responding to housefires.
The Kearsley Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) station alone attended two residential blazes, a spokesperson said.
Crews from Kurri Kurri were the first to be called to a unit fire on Monday close to their station, and were backed by Kearsley, Maitland and Abermain brigades.
"Although there was no saving the unit, the exposures and next door units were completely saved with no water or smoke damage," the FRNSW spokesperson said.
Crews donned breathing apparatus during the emergency operation to bring the fire under control.
Hunter Valley Police District officers remained at the scene after the blaze was extinguished, while NSW Ambulance paramedics and Ausgrid workers also attended for safety.
It came as FRNSW urged households across the state to test smoke alarms to make sure they were working as the winter safety campaign started.
June 1 marked the first day of winter and was Smoke Alarm Action Day, a national initiative highlighting the importance of detectors.
In 45 per cent of the nearly 3900 residential fires FRNSW attended last year, firefighters could not identify a working smoke alarm.
FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said it only took a few seconds to check alarms - as simple as using a broom handle to press the button and test it, or booking a free safety visit through local fire stations.
"Many people don't think about their smoke alarms until it's too late," he said.
