Father of Point Cook fire victim attends ‘magic’ memorial created by neighbours

The family of a young woman killed in a house fire have revealed their final words to her the night before the blaze.

A week after a devastating house fire killed a young couple and their young daughter, the family of those involved have shared heartwrenching details of the moments leading up toward the tragedy.

The parents of Abbey Forrest have spoken of how they talked to their daughter and said “I love you” the night before a fire claimed her life and that of her partner and baby girl.

Alan Forrest said inspecting the torched house was the first time he’d been to his daughter’s Point Cook home, as she’d just moved there weeks earlier with her partner Indi Singh and their nearly three-week-old baby Ivy.

“It was the first time I’ve been up and seen where they lived — I was shocked to see the house and how bad it was,” Mr Forrest told the Herald Sun.

Point Cook building fire victim Abbey Forrest (left), with sister Emily and their mum and dad. Picture: Supplied

But a stream of community members ready to embrace the family and pass on their best wishes, laying flowers, teddies and colourful balloons at the gate made seeing the wreckage on Sunday slightly easier to bear.

“There was a street full of people there,” he said.

“It’s absolute magic what they did.”

Mr Forrest said he was there with his wife Elizabeth when they spoke to their daughter the night before the tragedy, remembering tearfully how they said ‘I love you’.

“We have a very close knit family — you should love your kids,” he said.

He said someone in the complex had bought a gum tree, which had been planted not far from the burned home, with the family planning to lay a plaque under it for Abbey, Mr Singh and Ivy.

“It’s going to grow big and tall and give them strength,” Mr Forrest said.

Emily visiting her sister Abbey and niece Ivy.

Abbey, Indi and baby Ivy.

Speaking to A Current Affair, Elizabeth Forrest said she first saw news of the fire on the TV news.

“It must of roared so much, the sounds of it, when I saw it on TV, the roar of it was just so...knowing they were in there...someone did this,” she said.

“You are never supposed to bury your children. Hug your kids, just let them know they are loved because they could be gone.”

Mrs Forrest revealed details of the last time she saw her daughter’s partner, at a dinner earlier in the week.

“He (Indi) gave me a really tight hug, and I said ‘look after my girls’ and that was the last time I saw him,” she said.

“It’s just so devastating, I’ll never get over it. I’ll never be the same person again.”

The young family’s Point Cook home after the blaze. Picture: David Crosling

Jenny Hayes has been charged over the fire and deaths. Picture: Supplied

Sister Emily added: “Fires destroy anything and everything. How could you be so heartless.”

Jenny Hayes has been charged with three counts of murder and arson causing death following the blaze, which took hold of the home early on Wednesday morning as the couple and their child slept upstairs.

As a GoFundMe page raised more than $32,000 by Wednesday, Mr Forrest said Mr Singh’s parents, who live in India, hoped to return his body overseas so they could hold a traditional ceremony.

He thanked all those who had offered his family support and said they had been “gobsmacked” by the kindness of people in the community and Victoria Police.

“I’m absolutely amazed by the amount of people and their generosity and support of what happened to my daughter, my granddaughter and future son-in-law,” he said.

“The amount of people who had that support for us, it’s just amazing.”