Twin sisters, four, die in fire on commune near Byron Bay

Twin sisters, aged four, died over the weekend after a piano caught fire in their bedroom on a commune in Byron Bay.

The father of twin daughters who died in a house fire had returned with his girlfriend from a bonfire at her Byron Bay commune to find smoke billowing from the bedroom where they slept.

It is understood the sisters, aged four, had been spending the weekend with their father and joined him at his girlfriend’s place on the Nunkeri multi-occupancy commune in the hinterland when a fire started by a candle on a piano broke out in the home.

Detectives are working with fire investigators to determine the cause of the blaze and are looking into a theory the candle may have caused the instrument to smoulder and emit toxic fumes.

The piano was in the same room where the girls were sleeping.

A member of the public reacts while holding a bouquet of flowers outside the home where twin four-year-old girls died following a house fire on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image

Flowers are pictured in the mailbox at the property where four-year-old twin girls have died after a fire. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Danielle Smith

It is believed the father and his girlfriend had been attending a bonfire in the grounds of the commune and returned in the early hours of the morning when they saw smoke billowing from the girls’ bedroom.

A distressed woman called emergency services during the early hours of Sunday morning begging: “Hurry, the babies can’t breathe.”

“The girls are struggling to breathe, we think it’s an electrical fire,” a source said she told emergency services.

Paramedics battled to resuscitate the girls on the 120-acre farmland property in Goonengerry, 30km west of Byron Bay.

They died of smoke inhalation and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Sources said the girls’ mother was “absolutely distraught” when she learned about the tragedy.

“This is an absolutely tragic outcome and our investigators are working with police to determine the cause and origin of the fire, there are a number of possible causes,” NSW RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said.

“We have not ruled out initial reports that a candle left burning on top of a piano may have caused the instrument to smoulder and emit toxic fumes.”

The fire was billowing with low-level flames when firefighters, police and paramedics arrived but there was not substantial damage to the property.

A singed piano was seen outside the commune early yesterday as distraught residents hugged at the entrance to the property.

“I heard a fire engine go off around 3am and knew something was wrong, it’s quiet around here, we don’t often get sirens going off,” one neighbour said.

Police were called to Nunkeri Multi Occupancy commune amid reports four-year-old twin girls could not breathe as a fire tore through the bedroom where they slept in Goonengarry, west of Byron Bay. Picture: Danielle Smith

Police Superintendent Dave Roptell says the four-year-old twins died as they slept at a house on a commune in Goonengerry, west of Byron Bay. Picture: Danielle Smith

“I’m told the father is in a bad state. He blames himself. He’s really shaken up.”

The 20-home commune has been established for more than 30 years and is named after the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful.

It is known for its abundant wildlife and bird species and boasts a creek.

Visitors can stay for weeks at a time and help cultivate the vegetable garden and orchard, help weed, mulch, compost, rake, plant and care for the animals.

A bouquet of flowers was left outside the entrance to the property on Sunday afternoon with a note that read: “No words … mourning with you.”

Police said on Sunday the arson squad had been called in to investigate the incident.