One family member dead, two injured after fire tears through Mildura unit

A woman has died and two males, all from the same family, are in hospital after fire ripped through a Mildura unit early on Friday morning.

A house fire on Keam Cres in Mildura has claimed the life of one person and hospitalised two others. Picture: Stuart Kavanagh

A woman is dead and two of her family members are in hospital after a devastating fire ripped through a Mildura unit.

The Herald Sun understands the blaze took hold about 7am on Friday at a block of units on Keam Cres, just off San Mateo Ave.

The female occupant, who is yet to be formally identified, is dead while two males were rushed to hospital, one in a critical condition.

It is believed the woman was trying to escape the inferno when she died.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said one of the occupants was flown to The Alfred in Melbourne.

“One person has been transported by road to Mildura Base Hospital (and another) person is being airlifted to The Alfred hospital,” she said.

Firefighters managed to save another unit and a nearby house.

The Arson Squad is expected to arrive sometime this morning and a crime scene will impact traffic for the majority of the day.

The unit on Keam Cres that was gutted by fire. Picture: Stuart Kavanagh

“I am not sure what happened, I woke up to get the kids ready for school and there was police and fireys everywhere,” a neighbour said.

Another neighbour described hearing explosions that shook her house around the time the fire is believed to have started.

“I was dozing, in that twilight zone, when I heard kaboom. I s--t myself and then maybe a minute later there were three smaller explosions,” she said.

A Victoria police spokeswoman said the cause of fire was not believed to be suspicious.

“Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the fire which is not believed to be suspicious at this stage,” she said.

More to come