Father’s Desperate Bid to Save Sons: Critical Injuries as Family Home Engulfed in Flames in Hillside, Melbourne
- Father James suffers serious burns and slashes artery in arm to rescue sons from inferno
- Sons Zayne, 7, and Izaiah, 9, critically injured, with Zayne in ICU with third-degree burns
- Family of five, including Rochelle and Ava-Leigh, 3, left with nothing after blaze destroys their home
In a heart-stopping rescue, a father has risked everything to save his two young sons from a devastating house fire in Hillside, Melbourne, leaving them all fighting for their lives.
The blaze, which started in the bedroom of Zayne, 7, and Izaiah, 9, engulfed the back of the family home on Whitmore Place around 9:30 pm on Tuesday. With the door stuck, their father James took drastic action, smashing a window to get to his trapped sons.
In a desperate bid to save his children, James sustained serious burns and cut an artery in his arm, but managed to pull the boys to safety. His partner Rochelle escaped with their three-year-old daughter Ava-Leigh, who suffered minor burns to her face.
Zayne was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital with third-degree burns to his face, hands, and feet and remains in the ICU. His father James is also in the ICU, battling critical injuries.
Rochelle and Izaiah suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are in stable conditions, but the family has lost everything in the blaze. A fundraiser has been set up to support the family as they face a long and painful road to recovery.
According to James’ sister, Laressa Turetahi, an oil heater is believed to have started the fire, which quickly spread through the home, leaving the family with nothing.
Neighbour Louise Sheehan described the family as “good working-class people” who had only lived in the home for about two years. “It’s devastating … you can rebuild a house, you can do everything, but just personal belongings, what you’ve got in there, your whole life, it’s just gone in a second,” she said.
Fire crews managed to contain the blaze within 30 minutes, but the home has suffered severe heat and smoke damage. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.