Overview

• A gas cylinder explosion is believed to have caused the May 21 Chadstone townhouse fire, critically injuring a 37-year-old woman and hospitalizing her two daughters, aged 8 and 10, who are now stable.
• The 36-year-old male resident of the Chadstone home has been ruled out as a suspect, and police are not seeking anyone else at this time.
• In a separate incident on May 22, a body was discovered in a rear bungalow after a house fire on Lyppards Road in Langwarrin; three other occupants escaped unscathed.
• Authorities are treating both fires as suspicious and have deployed arson chemists to examine the scenes for further evidence.
• Victoria Police are urging the public to provide any relevant information, including CCTV footage, to assist with the ongoing investigations.