Race to replace Christmas charity donations destroyed in Penrith blaze - 2GB

60 Christmas hampers donated for struggling Western Sydney families have been destroyed by a fire in Penrith overnight.

A council-owned complex on Henry Street which housed a number of volunteer and community services went up in flames, requiring 50 firefighters to control.

The fire is believed to have been ignited by an exhaust fan in the storm-damaged ceiling.

Westcare Community Services Director Andrew Paech told Chris O’Keefe the office itself has been destroyed, alongside the emergency relief service stocked with commercial refrigerators and “a truckload of food”.

Mr Paech made an appeal to listeners to help replace the lost goods over the next week.

“Our target is to give people in our local area a Christmas experience who wouldn’t otherwise have one, or are experiencing particularly challenging circumstances in the lead-up to Christmas.”

Press PLAY below to hear how you can help out