A two-level weatherboard home on Ingleside Road has been destroyed in an Ingleside house fire being treated as suspicious, with police inquiries under way after firefighters found nobody inside.
Emergency crews were called shortly before 3:30pm on Sunday, 23 August, after several Triple Zero calls from residents reporting loud popping sounds and flames coming from the windows. A large column of black smoke was visible to crews as they approached the property.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Mona Vale, Narrabeen and Dee Why responded, along with NSW Rural Fire Service crews from Ingleside, Tumbledown Dick, Terrey Hills, Belrose and Davidson.
Crews Fight Ingleside House Fire From Outside
Fire and Rescue NSW personnel were first to arrive and found the two-level weatherboard building engulfed in flames. With the structure considered too dangerous to enter, crews established a defensive perimeter and connected hose lines to street hydrants.
Water was directed into the house through the windows before incoming RFS crews joined the operation. The combined use of multiple hose lines brought the blaze under control, although the timber-framed home had already sustained extensive fire damage.
After the blaze was brought under control, firefighters turned their attention to checking whether anyone was inside. An extension ladder was used to reach the second level and search for signs of anyone trapped in the building, but nobody was found.
Neighbours had indicated the property had been unoccupied for some time. An early update from the scene also reported no apparent injured parties.
Firefighters were later warned that asbestos roofing material had contaminated the area.
Police Begin Inquiries At Ingleside
Wattle Road provided the best access to the property, and police closed the section between Ingleside Road and the Sydney Water facility while the emergency response continued.
The cause of the fire had not been determined, but the blaze was being treated as suspicious. Detectives from Northern Beaches Police Area Command attended and began inquiries into the circumstances.
By about 5pm, the fire had been fully extinguished and Fire and Rescue NSW crews had left the scene. Rural Fire Service crews remained to extinguish remaining hot spots and took control of the scene to watch for any reignition overnight.
Published 25-August-2026
