Man in 70s found dead after house fire at Riddles Brush Rd, Johns River on Mid-North Coast

Investigators including an “ignitable liquid detection dog” have been at the scene of a Mid-North Coast blaze that claimed the life of a 78-year-old who lived on a semirural property with his son.

Chief Inspector Anthony Moodie at the scene on Tuesday morning, June 20. The home where the 78-year-old died is obscured behind the first ridgeline of trees and the brown shed where his 50-year-old son lives can be seen to the left. Picture: Janine Watson

The body of a man has been found behind a house destroyed by fire on a semirural property on the Mid-North Coast.

The 78-year-old man lived on the property at Riddles Brush Rd, Johns River with his 50-year-old son who lived in a separate structure nearby.

The home is located on the southern side of the small township of Johns River about 50km north of Taree.

Chief Inspector Anthony Moodie said he believes the man is a local.

The death marks the third residential fire-related fatality in NSW this winter, following the deaths of two women in separate blazes at Orange, in the state’s Central West, and Ryde, in Sydney’s northwest, earlier this month.

“People are losing family members,” Mr Moodie said.

Chief Inspector Anthony Moodie at the scene on Tuesday morning, June 20. The home where the 78-year-old died is obscured behind the first ridge line of trees and the brown shed where his 50-year-old son lives can be seen to the left. Picture: Janine Watson

The blaze engulfed the home just after 10.30pm on Monday night and emergency services were called to the scene about 11.40pm.

In total, eight Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters and four NSW Rural Fire Service crews were involved in the near five hour-long battle to contain and extinguish the flames.

The fire was so intense the roof of the property completely collapsed, limiting firefighters’ ability to access parts of the site.

After extinguishing the fire, which they managed to contain to the building, firefighters carried out a search and located the man’s body at the rear of the property.

The deceased man is yet to be formally identified.

A dog from the Fire and Rescue NSW canine unit.

Manning-Great Lakes Police District officers have set up a crime scene and launched investigations into the circumstances of the fire.

On Tuesday morning, a Fire and Rescue canine unit was gathering more information at the scene.

Fire Investigation and Research Unit experts have been using an ‘ignitable liquid detection dog’ to scour the remnants of the home.

A report on the Johns River death is being prepared for the Coroner.

Know more? Phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.