Two people die in suspicious fire despite neighbours’ desperate rescue attempt

Firefighters arrived to find the townhouse engulfed in flames and the fire spreading to nearby homes.

It took an hour for dozens of firefighters to gain control of the blaze before they found the bodies of two people – believed by police to be a couple – on the second storey.

The two people who died were not found in the same room, but were not far away from each other, Senior Detective Kennedy said.

Police have had varying reports of how many people lived at the address. There was a mattress downstairs that looked as though it had been recently slept on, but there was no one on it.

The occupants of the home and the address are not known to police. The identities of the two deceased people have not been confirmed.

A neighbour called Jemil said he and his partner tried to leave their home with their baby through the front door but their garden was on fire.

They escaped out the back and then saw a woman in the second-storey window of the burning home gasping for air. They used an axe to break the window.

“We saw a lady and she was frantically gasping for air. We tried everything, we smashed the garage door in, we opened her garage door leading into the house. It was engulfed in flames,” he told Nine News.

“We broke her window to try and get her out, but after that, it was just silent.”

Senior Detective Kennedy praised the neighbours’ brave efforts.

“They attempted to rescue occupants from upstairs. One neighbour used a ladder, very heroic and brave effort. Sadly, they did their best, but the fire took hold and nothing could be done,” he said.

Detectives believe the fire is suspicious given the intensity of the blaze.

“When the fire services got here, it was fully engulfed, the townhouse was raging, particularly in the front and upstairs. With accidental fires that doesn’t occur,” Senior Detective Kennedy said.

Parts of the fire were still flaring up on Wednesday afternoon, making it difficult for investigators to access the scene.

Forty firefighters battled the blaze, but the townhouse was destroyed. Arson chemists will remain at the scene for some time, a police spokeswoman said.

Fire Rescue Victoria crews believe the fire started in the middle of the townhouse.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.