A mother, father and a three-week-old baby girl killed in a suspicious fire that tore through their family home in Melbourne's south-west have been remembered as "beautiful souls".
Abbey Forrest, 19, Inda Sohal and their three-week-old baby daughter Ivy were found dead inside their Point Cook townhouse after a ferocious fire ripped through the Totem Way property about 3.40am yesterday.
Neighbours who heard the mother's desperate screams and "frantic gasps for air" used an axe to try and save them but could not get to the family in time.
Ms Forrest's sister Emily paid tribute to the young family in an online appeal to raise money to cover the costs of their funerals.
"In the early hours of Wednesday, December 2nd, a house fire in Point Cook claimed the lives of my 19-year-old sister, her loving partner and their almost three-week-old daughter," she wrote.
"I'm raising money to help with the cost of funerals and memorials for all three of these beautiful souls who had their lives tragically cut short.
"Any help is greatly appreciated."
Nearly $3000 has been raised since the fundraiser's launch 13 hours ago.
More than 40 firefighters battled the blaze for an hour at the scene.
https://twitter.com/MaggieRaworth/status/1334300123233337344Distressed neighbours fleeing home next door yesterday told 9News they did everything they could to try and reach the trio.
"We saw a lady and she was frantically like gasping for air," neighbour Jemil said.
"I don't think she had the energy to scream, she was just trying to breath.
"We tried everything. We smashed the garage door in, we opened up her garage door leading into the house.
"It was just engulfed in flames. We broke her window to try to get her out but after that it was just silent."
Jemil fled his own home with his five-month-old and partner.
"Our front yard was just in flames so we had to come through the rear, the garage - it was bloody horrifying."
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Kennedy said the house fire was being treated as suspicious, with Arson and Explosives Squad detectives investigating.
"It certainly is being treated as suspicious, prominently because of the intensity of the fire."
Detective Senior Sargent Kennedy yesterday described the rescue efforts from neighbours as "very heroic and brave".
"One of the neighbours says he used a ladder to try and get upstairs, but they couldn't because of the intensity of the flames," he said.
"Sadly they did their best, but the fire took hold and nothing could be done."
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