A young family, believed to be renters, were involved in a tragic incident when a fire broke out at their newly rented home. Emergency services were called to the scene where they found a child being treated with CPR for at least 20 minutes. Neighbours reported hearing explosions and feeling their houses shake from the force of the blasts. One neighbour expressed shock and horror upon realizing that there were children inside the home during the fire, as initially they thought it was empty or undergoing renovations. The fire is being treated as suspicious, and arson detectives and an arson chemist were on-site investigating.
There were conflicting reports from neighbours regarding whether or not the parents of the children were present in the home at the time of the fire. One neighbour mentioned that they had not seen any adults around the property since it was open for inspection weeks before. Authorities are working to determine if anyone else was inside the house at the time of the blaze. It took 30 firefighters and multiple appliances several hours to extinguish the fire, which fully engulfed the single-storey brick dwelling. Firefighters rescued three children from the home during their efforts to put out the blaze.
Emergency services also saved a dog from inside the home, along with a child’s seat, which were found inside a fire duty pod. Ambulance Victoria treated a toddler and two children in critical condition and transported them to The Royal Children’s Hospital. Forensics teams focused on a back courtyard area, and officers urged anyone with information to come forward to assist with the investigation. Neighbours expressed shock and disbelief over the incident, with one resident comparing the sound of the explosions to that of a bomb going off.
The community rallied together in shock and sorrow over the events that unfolded at the rented home. One neighbour described the loud bangs as being so powerful that they had never heard anything like it before. There was speculation about what caused the explosions and subsequent fire, with some mentioning paint tins or other materials igniting. However, the revelation that children were inside the home at the time of the incident left many residents horrified. Fire Rescue Victoria noted that crews arrived within six minutes of the call for help and had to wear breathing apparatus to enter the fully engulfed property.
The tragic incident left the entire neighbourhood reeling, with many expressing disbelief over the events that had transpired. Neighbours shared their shock at learning that children were inside the home during the fire, with one resident stating that they would have attempted to rescue the children if they had known. As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, authorities are working to determine if anyone else was present in the home at the time. The quick response of emergency services and the efforts of firefighters to rescue the children from the blaze were commended, but the tragic outcome left the community devastated.
