Two die, one man injured after horror house fire in Werribee

Neighbours have reported seeing youths hanging around “looking suspicious” moments before a fire claimed the lives of two people in Werribee.

Police at the scene of a fatal house fire in Werribee. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Two people have been found dead after a house fire in Werribee on Saturday.

Emergency services were called to the double-storey home on Manor St about 7.25am.

Two people were found dead at the scene.

A third male resident was also taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A smashed window on the second storey of the home can also be seen with debris strewn across the roof as the smell of smoke lingers.

Police talk to a neighbour after the house fire in Werribee. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

CFA Commander Bruce Notman said the fire was contained to a single room inside the house.

“The crew themselves did a fantastic job to contain the fire to the room of origin, which was a bedroom in the south end of the home,” he said on Saturday.

“The fire was upstairs in one of the occupant’s bedrooms, and it was actually contained to that area.

“The fire itself was contained to the room of origin which is a terrific job by all crews on scene.”

Police inspect inside the home. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Notman hinted that given the fire was contained to a single room, the ferocity of the flames would have been intense.

“I wasn’t actually on scene at the start, so I can’t confirm as to the intensity of the fire,” he added.

“However, by having a walk-around of the site after the extinguishment, the fire was contained to one room so the intense heat in that particular room would have been high.

“The fire is being investigated by Victoria Police.”

Senior Sergeant Andrew Beans said it was still to early to determine whether the fire was suspicious or not.

“At this stage, we’re still determining the cause and origin and unable to say at this stage as to whether or not the nature of the fire is suspicious,” he said.

“At this stage, it’s unconfirmed as to the circumstances of how those persons were found on the footpath.

“It’s a bit early for us to say.”

Officers are still yet to confirm the identities of the deceased and urge anyone who may know them to come forward.

Police at the scene in Werribee. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

A witness, who claimed to have run outside his nearby home to investigate, said he saw a man’s body being pulled from the home by two people.

“I heard a couple of guys screaming and yelling and they were sort of out on the street saying ‘call the fire brigade’,” he said.

“I’ve come running down (the street) and two of them went into the house and tried to get this guy out.

“I’m pretty sure the guy was yelling from up the top, he was yelling and screaming.

“(They) got him to the front door and dragged him out, and he was pretty lifeless.

“He had some pretty severe burns on him.”

Forensic police comb for clues. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

The witness also claimed the two people, who helped drag a man from the home, left the scene after authorities arrived.

“They sort of took off probably just after the third fire brigade truck arrived on scene,” the witness, who wished not to be named added.

“I think they were just passers-by … I guess they took it upon themselves to kick the door in and try and save the guy.

“And they (passers-by) sort of burst in and dragged him out.

“They came out coughing pretty hard so I could imagine the smoke was pretty bad.”

Hoppers Crossing builder Charlie Perry and his wife Adelaide own the three recently developed units on the block.

Ms Perry told the Herald Sun she was still in bed on Saturday morning when police rang with news of the tragedy.

Ms Perry said an agent managed the properties on their behalf.

“We don’t know nothing at all,” she said.

She said they had never met, and did not even know the names of their tenants.

The Arson Squad investigates the cause of the blaze. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Neighbour Hamish Kelly, who rents the house attached to the burnt-out home, said he was shocked when his landlord called him with the news.

“I was in the truck over in Epping and my landlord rang me, and he said what had happened, it’s pretty unreal,” he said on Saturday.

“You come home from work, a normal day and you come home to this, you don’t expect it… it’s pretty shocking.”

Mr Kelly, who is a young truck driver, said his neighbours were “good people” but kept to themselves.

“They were good people… I think they were about my age, a bit older maybe.”

He the home was only built a few months ago.

“They’re brand new houses,” he said.

Police have cordoned off the area while the Arson Squad continue to investigate the scene.

Another witness, who also wished not to be named, claims to have seen “suspicious” activity around the time of the blaze.

“This morning I was driving to work and I saw three youths, three young people,” she said on Saturday.

“There was one (person) next to the house that caught on fire, and two were across the road.

“They were talking about if there’s someone in the house … the one that was close to the house pointed that somebody must have been in the house up the top.

She said the people she saw appeared to be “looking for trouble”.

“They looked like they were there to start trouble, not to help,” she said.

“To me they looked suspicious, they were in their 20s for sure.”

The witness, who lives a short distance away, was horrified to discover that the fire had claimed two lives.