Detectives have ruled out a man as a suspect after a suspicious house fire in Melbourne’s south-east that left two girls seriously injured and their mother critical.
The two-storey townhouse on Terrigal Street in Chadstone went up in flames about 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Police believe a gas cylinder exploded in the home, causing the fire.
Two primary school-aged girls and their mother were found huddled together in an upstairs master bedroom.
Firefighters pulled them from the inferno and resuscitated them before they were rushed to hospital with severe burns.
This afternoon, the two girls, aged eight and 10, remained in a stable condition in the Royal Children’s Hospital.
The 37-year-old woman remains in a critical condition at The Alfred hospital.
A 36-year-old man who lives at the property was not home at the time of the fire.
He has been interviewed by police and ruled out as a suspect, but the fire is still being treated as suspicious.
Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
“Detectives will look to speak to the female occupant from the home, a 37-year-old woman, however she remains in a critical condition in hospital and is therefore not in a position to speak with police,” police said in a statement.
Neighbours said the moment the home went up in flames was comparable to “a massive bomb”.
“Just a large fireball really and then the smoke that went up for a couple of kilometres… it was quite a scene to see,” neighbour Ralph Curtis said.
According to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), the blaze involved the bedrooms and ensuite on the second floor.
“You’re looking at temperatures of 500 degrees for the firefighters who first entered,” FRV commander Paul Eckholdt said.
The ferocity of the fire caused the roof to cave in, while the remainder of the house suffered smoke and water damage.
Firefighters have been praised for their “heroic actions” to save the occupants.
Anyone who witnessed the fire or has any vision is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
