Community gathers to pay tribute to children allegedly killed in horror house fire in Lalor Park

A huge crowd has come to mourn the three children who were allegedly murdered at the hands of their father in a horrific house fire.

Community members have gathered in a show of support for the family of three young children who were allegedly murdered in a horror house fire in Lalor Park on Sunday.

In a vigil held in the same street where the children tragically lost their lives, mourners stood together to pay their respects on Thursday evening.

Politicians, emergency service workers and mental health support staff from NSW Health attended the gathering in Chifley Park.

Community members gathered to pay their respects. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

“We gather here this evening to be able to come together to be able to heal. We do that best as a community, we do that best together,” Blacktown Mayor Brad Bunting said.

“We can only get through this darkness together as a one. It’s important you know that there’s always somebody to listen to us. There’s light at the end of the darkness.”

It comes as a 28-year-old man has been charged with murder and attempted murder after he allegedly used an accelerant to light the fire inside the home before blocking his family from fleeing.

Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty on Thursday described the alleged incident as “one of the worst cases of filicide” in NSW in recent memory.

The vigil was held in the same street where the three children tragically lost their lives. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

“We will allege that the doors had been locked, and as a result, prevented those inside, the occupants, to escape the fire,” Superintendent Doherty said.

Mr Doherty said police will allege the man used an accelerant to light multiple fires inside the home in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Two boys, aged 2 and 6 died despite being rushed to Westmead Hospital and a five-month-old girl was declared dead at the scene.

Their mother, 28, and four other children aged, 4,7, 9 and 11 were able to escape the blaze after a heroic neighbour “courageously” forced his way into the home.

Mr Doherty said the neighbour was able to save the two boys before going back in.

“He then went back in and saved the nine-year-old girl, at the same time as the mother, and attempted to try to save the 11-year-old … We will allege that was prevented by the 28-year-old man,” he said.

Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty pictured speaking to media at Police Headquarters on Thursday. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Police allege the neighbour called triple-0 and responding police forced their way into the burning house before wrestling with the man.

“They also had to force entry, had to wrestle with this man and wrestle the boy from his grasp as he was holding on to him, allegedly, and the boy was then rescued,” Superintendent Doherty said.

“The man was then, after some resistance, arrested as well.”

It will be alleged that the man attempted to kill his family following a domestic argument or dispute.

Following a brief mention in the Parramatta Local Court on Thursday morning, police have taken out an AVO on behalf of the woman and the surviving children.

The man remains under police guard at Westmead Hospital.

On Tuesday afternoon the mother of the three children returned to her destroyed home, comforted by police officers and loved ones.

Still wearing her hospital armband, she wiped away tears as she read cards that has been left among floral tributes outside home.

Originally published as Community gathers to pay tribute to children allegedly killed in horror house fire in Lalor Park