Homeland Caravan Park, Wadalba: Woman dies in caravan blaze on the Central Coast

A woman who died in a caravan fire at Wadalba has been identified as former Singleton resident Mandy Paynter. It comes as her children are trying to raise enough money for her funeral.

A woman killed in a tragic fire at a caravan park at Wadalba on the Central Coast is being remembered as a “happy and loving person”.

Tributes have been flowing for Mandy Paynter, formally known as Mandy Newman, after an apparent accident with a LPG cylinder triggered a blaze to rip through the caravan she was staying in at Homeland Park.

It comes as her two children, both in their 20s, have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser in the hope of raising enough money to give her “the funeral she deserves”.

Ms Paynter’s daughter Cheyenne Tudor said the community of Wadalba had been wonderful in sending flowers and supporting Ms Paynter’s partner Marcus, who was also injured in the blaze.

“This was extremely unexpected and devastating for myself and brother,” Ms Tudor said.

“My brother and myself both live in the community of Singleton where Mandy was also born and bred before moving to Wadalba with her partner in early April.

“Because of lockdown and the current situation we find ourselves in, we never had the opportunity to say goodbye.”

Ms Tudor said they now faced the unexpected burden of funeral costs.

“I am devastated to be on here asking for help but I have no other options so please if anyone can help, I would be more grateful then you will ever know,” Ms Tudor said on her GoFundMe page.

“My mum Mandy Paynter, formally known as Mandy Newman, was a happy and loving person, she always went out of her way to make others happy and help anyway she could. All I want is for my mum to be given the funeral she deserves.”

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Investigators looking into a fatal caravan fire at Wadalba believe a “possible accident involving LPG cylinders” could have sparked the horrific blaze.

NSW Fire & Rescue Acting Inspector Mark Delves said crews arrived within seven minutes of the blaze igniting shortly after 8pm on Monday, August 16.

He said there were a number of LPG cylinders on the site, which he described as normal for a caravan, with several “venting” gas and fuelling the fire’s intensity.

Acting Insp Delves said the cause was still under investigation but it appeared it could have been “possibly an accident involving LPG cylinders”.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Rob Ryan said emergency services arrived to find “quite chaotic scenes” before treating a man for minor burns to his hands and smoke inhalation before he was taken to Gosford Hospital.

A NSW Fire & Rescue firefighter was also taken to hospital with minor injuries from a “simple fall”.

Neighbours have described the terrifying moment a caravan became engulfed in flames killing a woman in her 50s and injuring a man, also in his 50s.

“I thought someone was up the back shooting,” said one neighbour at Homeland Park, Wadalba, said.

“By the time I came outside it was already gone, there were flames as high as that tree.”

The man in the caravan next door said he had gone out for dinner and returned about 8.30pm on Monday to find “all these red and blue flashing lights”.

He said the couple had only moved in a couple of months ago and the caravan “was in good nick”.

His rented caravan sustained significant damage and was “condemned” forcing him to find alternate accommodation until he is given the all clear to go back in and collect his belongings.

Emergency services arrived on the scene and found the caravan blazing, just after 8pm.

Fire and Rescue NSW officers extinguished the fire which destroyed the caravan and a utility parked outside.

The body of a woman was located inside the caravan.

The caravan was destroyed along with a utility parked beside it. Picture: Richard Noone

A man in his 50s, was outside the caravan with minor burns on his hands.

He was treated for smoke inhalation before being taken to Gosford Hospital for further treatment.

A crime scene was established and investigations into the cause of the fire are underway.

Fire investigators returned to the site this morning and started dismantling the metal roof and removing a large gas bottle which luckily did not also explode in the inferno.

Only the letter box out the front remained unscathed after the fire engulfed the caravan. Picture: Richard Noone

Another neighbour said he heard “hissing”.

“I was on the lounge and I could hear hissing,” he said.

“After a few minutes I thought I’d better come outside and check and it was just too far gone.