A candle may have caused a fire that destroyed a couple’s Sydney home.

A young couple lost their home in a fire that investigators say may have started from a common household item. 

Neighbors told 9News they heard screams and ran outside to see flames engulfing a house on Brennan Way in Edmonson Park, in Sydney’s south-west, about 6.30pm yesterday.

“We heard the guy’s first scream and we realized, ‘OK, this is not normal,'” neighbor Dhanush Manjunath said.

“When I came out, they were here and crying, crying, crying,” said another neighbor, Manju Nathmuniratnam.

The flames ignited within minutes, engulfing the top floor and spreading downwards.

Flames burst from the windows, scattering ash and plumes of smoke throughout the area.

“When I walked outside, it was like a bomb going off,” Nathmuniratnam said.

“The glass broke.”

The entire street came to help before they were forced back inside by the thick smoke.

“It’s very sad and devastating for everyone, including the neighbours,” said Bindu Baburaj, another local resident.

A young couple, Nitesh and Pari Harakh, were inside when it all started and managed to escape in time.

One was treated for smoke inhalation and the other for minor burns.

The couple told 9News they are still in shock and are homeless tonight.

Investigators said the fire is believed to have started in the bedroom and may have been caused by a candle.

The fire is being treated as non-suspicious.