Woman, Two Children Critical After Suspicious Melbourne House Fire

A suspicious fire at a modern townhouse in Chadstone, Melbourne's southeast, critically injured a mother and her two primary school-aged daughters after a gas cylinder exploded inside the home. Firefighters rescued the unconscious family members from an upstairs bedroom amid challenging conditions of heavy smoke, heat, and near-zero visibility. Approximately 30 firefighters responded to the blaze, which caused a partial structural collapse of the upper floor and extensive smoke and water damage throughout the property. The mother remains in critical condition at the Alfred Hospital, while the children are stable at the Royal Children's Hospital. Police have not arrested a male occupant who was not present during the fire, and fire investigators along with an arson chemist are treating the incident as suspicious. Authorities are seeking information from the public to aid in the investigation.