Neighbour who ran in to burning Lalor Park home to save children calls on community to rally around family
In short:
Jarrod Hawkins ran into the burning home in Lalor Park and helped rescue four young children.
Two young boys and a baby died in the fire, which police allege was deliberately lit by their father.
What's next?
Mr Hawkins is calling on the community to rally around the family, who have "lost everything".
A neighbour who ran into a burning home in Lalor Park said he heard children yelling for help as he smashed down the front door.
Jarrod Hawkins thought there was someone trying to break in to his car when he heard a "popping" sound in the early hours of Sunday morning.
"I could see the neighbours' house was on fire," he said.
"It sounds silly but I didn't even think about it, I just sprinted over and was smashing down the front door so I could get in."
Jarrod Hawkins ran in to the burning home in Lalor Park, smashing down the front door and rescuing three young children before emergency services arrived. (ABC News: Sean Tarek-Goodwin)
Two boys, aged two and six, were pulled from the fire but died after being taken to Westmead Hospital.
A 5-month-old girl was found also dead at the scene after the fire was extinguished.
Four more children and their mother were also taken to hospital and were expected to recover.
A man, who is the father of the children, was arrested and remains in an induced coma under police guard.
Investigators have been closely examining the family home, which was completely destroyed in the blaze. (ABC News: Ethan Rix)
Father tried to stop neighbour from saving children
Mr Hawkins said he struggled to see past a thick layer of smoke once he got through the front door.
"I then heard kids coughing and yelling to my right," he said.
"I was on my hands and knees trying to find where I could go."
He found one of the children on the floor coughing and took him outside.
Police allege the man "frustrated" efforts for emergency services get into the property. (Supplied)
Mr Hawkins went back inside the home twice more, where temperatures were as high as 700 degrees Celsius, to retrieve two more children and bring them to safety before emergency services arrived.
Once police and firefighters were on scene, he also attempted to rescue the rest of the family from the back of the house.
Mr Hawkins said the father, who police allege deliberately lit the fire in an attempt to kill his family, tried to stop the rescuers.
"He was definitely intervening, he was not helping the situation," he said.
"It is heartbreaking that someone would do that to their kid."
Call for community support as family faces heartbreak
Mr Hawkins said he feels physically OK but remains "heartbroken" for the children left behind.
"For those kids that have to deal with that for the rest of their lives, It's just not right," he said.
"Those kids were unreal, very happy, full of energy, just typical kids."
His efforts are now focused on helping the family.
There is a growing mountain of floral tributes at the home on Freeman Street in Lalor Park. (ABC News: Jessica Rendall)
"They have lost everything … photos of the babies they have lost, clothes, toys … everything," he said.
"We just need to try to look after them."
A GoFundMe has been set up for the mother and her surviving children, and a local coffee shop is accepting donations of clothes, toys and other household items to replace those lost in the fire.
Mr Hawkins said it was time to support the family as well as the emergency services workers who responded to the scene.
"Just look after each other," he said.
"I hope [the police and firefighters] can rest easy knowing they did the best they physically could."