A three-year-old child has died in a house fire in Melbourne’s outer southwest.
Emergency services discovered the body of Jordan Dashwood inside a burning home on Newbury Street in Werribee just after midnight on Monday.
Jordan was at home with his parents and 11-year-old brother when the fire broke out.
Jordan’s father, Jeremy Dashwood, 40, smashed a window and tried to re-enter the house to save his son, but came out on fire and was rushed to hospital in a serious condition with upper and lower body injuries.
The 11-year-old brother escaped by jumping out of a window, Daily Mail understands.
Two older siblings were not at home at the time.
On Monday morning, the charred remains of the home were covered in burnt ash, as the boy’s mother and grandmother stood outside in shock.
Family friend Bianca Mizzi said she ‘felt so sick’ and cried when she found out what happened.
Jordan Dashwood, three, has died in a house fire in Melbourne’s outer southwest overnight
Authorities arrived within three minutes of being called to the single-storey home
‘Jordan was so beautiful, but so cheeky,’ Ms Mizzi told The Age.
‘When he was little, I used to love to cuddle him, but he wouldn’t have a bar of it.’
Newbury Street resident Thanh Zannit said he woke up to the fire after hearing a loud bang and saw huge flames engulfing the property.
He tried to help by using his garden hose to put out the fire, but the water couldn’t reach the flames.
‘The lady was saying my baby’s inside – I feel really upset, I really wanted to help, but I couldn’t do anything.’
Emergency services said they arrived within three minutes of being called to the single-storey brick veneer house.
‘Sadly, a resident of the home died at the scene, and a second resident remains in hospital with serious injuries,’ Senior Constable Paul Hogan said on ABC radio.
Police say the fire is not being treated as suspicious.
