Sadleir fire: Mother, two children flee burning home in Sydney’s southwest
Fire investigators are on scene at a home in Sydney’s south-west after a mother and her children woke surrounded by flames. Shocked neighbours say the remains of what looked like a molotov cocktail were found outside the property.
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Shocked neighbours have told of the terrifying moment the family home where a mother and her two daughters lived went up in flames in Sydney’s southwest overnight.
Emergency services were called to the Pinnacle St home in Sadleir about 2.15am following reports of a blaze.
The three occupants, a 45-year-old mother and her two daughters - aged 12 and 14 - miraculously managed to escape uninjured.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which caused significant damage to the property and police have established a crime scene and investigations are ongoing.
On Thursday morning, detectives arrived at the home and interviewed neighbours as specialist police took photographs of the damage.
Neighbour Chris Albert said he heard screams before seeing emergency vehicles swarm the street.
“I had a little microsleep and then I woke up and then I heard screams and windows breaking,” he said.
“There were two fires. One started about two o’clock and then the next about an hour later ... that was at the back of the house, this was at the front and all of the flames were going up here, like really high, and I thought it was going to hit the powerlines.”
Mr Albert said the family of three was visibly shaken by the ordeal.
“My wife consoled the young girl because they were all shaking and the other neighbours came up and consoled them.
“It freaked me out because I thought they were dead.”
He said the blaze, which is being treated as suspicious, was worrying because it showed a “lack of remorse, lack of empathy”.
“(It was) pretty shocking. I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. I mean, that could have killed that family.
“The kids are so nice and the thought of them going up in flames, I wouldn’t even know what to do.”
A witness, who did not wish to be named said what looked like the shattered remains of a molotov cocktail were found outside a window on the front lawn and she saw two people run off down the street.
“I’ve come out and the mum and the two girls were out the front. She’d gotten the girls out. Apparently ... she goes someone chucked a bottle through her window and it lit up the whole house and she was lucky that the kids weren’t sleeping in the front room. They were sleeping in the back and she got them all out.”
She said the mother and two girls were “lovely people”.
“To think that someone can actually hurt anyone like that, it was scary.”
Fifteen fire crews battled the flames for some time before the fire was extinguished.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendant Scott Donohue said the fire was contained to a bedroom and extinguished within an hour after some difficulty.
Fire investigators suspect an accelerant may have been involved but investigations were still underway, he said.
Liverpool Police crime manager Detective Inspector Tim Liddiard said the mother and her daughters were “fine at the moment”.
“They’re uninjured, they’re probably very thankful that they’ve been able to escape their house unharmed.
“It’s extremely fortunate that they were able to survive. Obviously we’ve seen far too many fatal house fires occur, particularly when people are asleep at night.”
Det Insp Liddiard said officers were investigating reports two people were seen fleeing the scene.
Anyone who may have information that could assist should contact police at Liverpool Police Station, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.