Overview

• Firefighters rescued a woman in her 30s and her two young daughters, all found unconscious in an upstairs bedroom of the burning townhouse.
• The fire, which broke out at 9:40 PM on Terrigal Street, Chadstone, engulfed the upper floor, causing part of the roof to collapse.
• The mother and her daughters were taken to separate hospitals in critical condition, suffering burns and airway injuries.
• Victoria Police declared the property a crime scene and are treating the fire as suspicious, with investigations ongoing.
• Specialist fire investigators and an arson chemist have been deployed to determine the cause of the blaze.