Brunswick mother stays in Melbourne house with wheelchair-bound daughter

A selfless mother waited in a burning house as she refused to leave behind her wheelchair-bound daughter before the pair were rescued.

The mother, 74, stayed with her daughter, 45, as the home burned around them on Laura Street in Brunswick, Melbourne, at 12.20am on Friday.

Her 77-year-old husband frantically ran out of the house and screamed for help to carry his daughter outside.  

The mother, aged in her 70s, stayed with her daughter, in her 40s, as the home burned around them on Laura Street in Brunswick, Melbourne, at 12.20am on Friday

Firefighters managed to rescue the pair before the fire completely razed the weatherboard home.

The mother and daughter were rushed to Alfred Hospital in a critical condition. The father was also taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

A neighbour recalled the father screaming for help after running onto the street.

‘His wife and daughter were still in the house, he was shouting for people to come and help him,’ she told Herald Sun.

‘I looked out and I could see the huge fire through my window.’ 

Local resident Lewis Spiteri said the firefighters took 45 minutes to douse the flames.

‘I heard sirens and lots of yelling, and came out and couldn’t see any flames,’ Mr Spiteri said.

‘It’s very sad, this kind of thing can happen within seconds. Hopefully they will recover.’ 

Tommy Sawce and his partner rushed out to urge the neighbours living behind the burning house to leave their home. 

The cause of the fire remains unknown with investigators on scene.  

Her 77-year-old husband frantically ran out of the house and screamed for help to carry his daughter outside