“I’m in shock,” a shaken Ms Kirby said.

Police were called to the Henry Street address about 3.30am. At least three fire vehicles also attended.

She had barely enough time to wake her young daughter and escape before fire near the rear of the property, took hold.

“It was gone in 20 minutes,” she said.

A child helped raise the alarm with neighbours.

“Our son woke us screaming ‘the house next door is on fire’,” the neighbour said.

“Then we heard the bangs and saw the flames.”

Any attempts to fight the fire were futile as they were forced back by the fire’s intense heat.

“By the time we got there, flames were as high as the roof,” he said.

“It was intense.

“A garden hose would have barely touched it.

“There was nothing we could do.”

But the neighbour’s main concern was for the occupants who, after a quick check-up at Gunnedah hospital, were fortunately all ok.

“I’m glad they both got out safely,” he said.

The family dog was rescued but their two cats were still missing late yesterday.

The house was newly built and the young family had lived at the residence for not even 12 months before Monday’s fire.

The cause of the fire is unknown and subject to fire and forensic investigations but the house was insured.

A gofundme page, Fiona’s Recovery Fund, has been established to assist the local mother.

By 3pm Monday, it had raised $390.

Page creator Jules Bailey described Fiona as a lovely mum and encouraged others to help lighten the load with a small financial donation.

“Last night a lovely mum Fiona and her family lost everything in a devastating fire in Curlewis,” she said.

“Please help make things a little easier for her during this time.”

It is not the first time in recent years that fire has devastated a local family.

In 2014, an early-morning fire destroyed a Pike St house in Gunnedah where a family of five resided.

No-one was injured in the blaze but the family home was a write-off.

In 2011, a man aged in his 30s was killed in a Gunnedah house fire.