James Wright ‘inconsolable’ after twin daughters killed in Byron fire

The father of two girls who died in a fire near Byron collapsed to the ground in agony as he watched the house go up in smoke.

The father of twin girls who died in a blaze on a commune in the hinterland of Byron Bay where he was visiting his girlfriend collapsed on the ground screaming “no” as he saw smoke billowing from their bedroom.

Political activist James Wright was “inconsolable” when he realised his four-year-old girls, Ophelia and Tarrow had choked to death from smoke inhalation at the commune Nunkeri Multiple Occupancy in Goonengerry during the early hours of Sunday.

“He was on the floor on his knees, he was crying no no, he was inconsolable,” a woman from the commune said.

“Our hearts are broken for him. Jimmy loved his girls, he took them everywhere with him.”

Twin girls Ophelia and Tarrow were killed when a fire broke out in the room they were staying in at Byron Bay on Sunday morning. Picture: 7News

Mr Wright, who ran as the Ballina candidate for the independent political party Keep Sydney Open in 2019, pleaded with his girlfriend to call triple-0 at 4am when they realised the bedroom where the girls slept had caught fire.

It is believe they had attended a bonfire on the commune and were returning to house when they spotted the smoke.

“I’m told Jimmy’s in a bad way, when he was canvassing as candidate for Keep Sydney Open in the Lower House, the girls were always with him,” said CEO for Keep Sydney Open Tyson Kho.

“He was the most loving father, he’s really cut up over this.”

Police and fire investigators have not ruled out a criminal investigation and sources close to the mother Akira Garton, who lives in Mullumbimby, say she had consulted lawyers.

“She wants to know why the children were not attended,” a friend said.

“She is strangely calm but yet heartbroken. She went to the commune yesterday and said she needed to see where her girls had died.”

A distressed woman called emergency services at 4am as a blaze engulfed their home while twin girls slept, begging, “Hurry, the babies can’t breathe.”

Paramedics battled to resuscitate the sisters but they died from smoke

inhalation.

Detectives working with fire investigators to determine the cause of the blaze say initial reports suggest a candle may have been left burning on a piano which began smouldering and emitting toxic fumes.

The twins were sleeping “fairly close” to the piano at the time, police said.

The 20-home commune, situated on 120 acres of farmland, has been established for more than 30 years, and is named after the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful.