Two children rescued from burning Albanvale home in suspected arson attack

Four people including two young children have been rescued from a burning home in Melbourne’s northwest set ablaze by arsonists who threatened neighbours woken by the attack. See the dramatic video.

Four people including two young children have been rescued from a burning home set ablaze in an arson attack in Melbourne’s northwest.

Fire Rescue Victoria crews arrived at the home in Jackson Circuit Albanvale about 4.30am on Thursday to find two cars in the driveway on fire and the flames spreading to the single-storey house.

The fire has been declared suspicious and Victoria Police are investigating.

Neighbours told the Herald Sun they heard loud bangs and windows breaking about 4.30am.

They said they saw three men in black clothing and balaclavas douse the cars in front of the home with petrol from jerry cans before setting them on fire.

One of the arsonists told a neighbour to “get the f--k back inside”.

Neighbours said they saw three men set the cars on fire. Picture: Angus McIntyre

Two children were at home at the time of the attack. Picture: Angus McIntyre

One of the attackers lit his leg on fire during the attack, a neighbour said.

Flames quickly spread to the front of the house, where two young children were sleeping.

The children are understood to be aged three and five.

They were rescued by firefighters, along with a woman who is believed to be renting a separate room at the back of a house and is not connected to the family.

The children’s mother is understood to have left the home a short time before the fire was lit.

Paramedics treated the home’s residents for smoke inhalation at the scene.

The blaze was brought under control within 50 minutes.

Neighbour Belinda Croucher said she heard “explosion after explosion” as the cars went up in flames.

“I jumped out of bed and saw the flames from my window and immediately called triple-0 because obviously I know there’s little kids in the house, and yeah, come outside, and it was just explosion after explosion.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.

“The fire was horrendous, and just how quickly it spread.

“I was so terrified for these little kids and terrified that it would spread as well to neighbour houses.”