A toddler who survived an inferno that claimed the lives of his two siblings has been released from hospital, as a coroner launches a probe into their tragic deaths.
Siblings Izabel, 5, and Lyvia, 2, and their three-year-old brother Kalais were pulled unconscious from the rear of a property in Sydenham in Melbourne‘s north-west after neighbours raised the alarm on 8 September.
Firefighters rescued the children one-by-one before all three were rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital. Police are investigating whether they had been left home alone.
Tragically, Zabel and Lyvia died in hospital last week, while Kalais was put in an induced coma.
But his father, Jayde Petalas, has revealed that little Kalais was released from hospital on Wednesday.
‘I’m really happy about it. I’m glad he’s OK,’ Mr Petalas told The Age.
It comes as the Coroners Court of Victoria has confirmed there is a active investigation into the children’s deaths.
Mr Petalas, who does not live at the home, previously told Nine News of his fears that his children would have been ‘petrified’ in the fire.
Little Kalais, 3, was placed in an induced coma after a devastating house fire that killed his two siblings. The toddler was released from hospital on Wednesday
Father Jayde Petalas (pictured with one of the children) said it had been confronting to see the three young children in hospital
‘I hope they didn’t feel anything to be honest, (but) obviously they would have, I just tell myself they didn’t,’ the distraught father said.
‘It shouldn’t have happened. They’re the best little kids – so innocent.’
Police are still trying to establish what sparked the fire and whether the children were home alone at the time.
The kids and their mother Shania Lee moved into the property a week before the blaze.
The children were trapped inside for about half an hour, according to neighbours.
‘When I first came out a few of us heard screaming,’ an unnamed resident recalled.
Adolf Kolaritsch added: ‘Just explosions, that’s all it was and then fire shooting out into the air.
Another said it was heartbreaking to hear that the children were ‘fighting for their lives’.
Mr Petalas is pictured with two of the children Izabelle and Kalais, who were pulled unconscious from a Melbourne house fire
A loud bang heard before the flames engulfed the home, followed by a series of further explosions, sparked concerns fireworks may have played a role in triggering the blaze.
However, Victoria Police Arson and Explosives Squad Detective Acting Inspector Adam Henry said they had so far found no evidence of that.
He also stressed that was also too early to say if the fire was suspicious.
All three of the children were found unconscious from smoke inhalation in an area towards the front of the home, he said.
‘This is an incredibly tragic incident, and one that certainly would have been very confronting for the first responders,’ Inspector Henry said.
The blaze is believed to have started at the rear of the home, which was gutted by the fire.
Neighbours said they heard explosions before and during the fire that raged for half an hour while the children were inside
Police have brought in arson and explosives experts to investigated what started the blaze
Forensic police were seen combing through debris outside the home after they joined fire investigators and Victoria Police’s Arson Squad at the scene
‘At the time (fire crews) were unaware that anyone was inside the property and it is our understanding that the family had only moved in a week earlier,’ Inspector Henry said.
Det Insp Henry said police will speak to Ms Lee ‘in due course’ but ‘at this time she is with her children and it’s where she needs to be’
‘It is important that we don’t pre-empt any possible outcomes or make any assumption,’ he said.
Forensic police were seen combing through debris outside the home after they joined fire investigators and Victoria Police’s arson squad at the scene last week.
Detectives also canvassed the area in search of CCTV they believe might help determine where the children’s guardians were at the time of the blaze.
A dog was carried out of the backyard by a firefighter about 9.30am on Monday. It appeared uninjured and is believed to have fled the fire and returned home later
Detectives are also canvassing the area in search of CCTV they believe might help determine where the children’s guardians were at the time of the blaze
It’s understood police are working to establish if anyone in the home had left around the time the blaze erupted.
The crime scene remains taped off as police continue to probe inside the house for clues.
A dog was carried out of the backyard by a firefighter on Monday morning. It appeared uninjured and is believed to have fled the fire and returned home later.
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward.