A house fire that killed three people including two young children was deliberately lit, police have confirmed.
Fire crews were called to the blaze after it broke out at the home in Bonner, Canberra’s north, about 8.45am on Monday.
The family home is now the the scene of a crime, as police investigate the deliberately lit fire.
Neighbours said a woman in her 40s lived at the Peter Coppin Street address with two primary school aged children, a boy and a girl.
Fire crews were called to the blaze (pictured) after it broke out at the home in Bonner, Canberra’s north, about 8.45am on Monday
Police have confirmed a house fire that killed three people including two young children was deliberately lit. Three pumpers, breathing apparatus support and two commanders were at the scene, ACT Fire and Rescue said
When fire crews were called to the home on Monday, they initially found no one inside.
After a second search of the house, the bodies of a woman and two children were tragically discovered.
The deceased woman and children are yet to be identified.
No arrests have been made.
Fire crews fought to contain the blaze at the house in Canberra in the capital’s northern suburbs
Neighbour Rachael Collins said the fire took hold of the home quickly.
‘My husband left for work at 8.30am, there was no sign of smoke, nothing… I left at 17 minutes to nine and it was up in smoke,’ she told the Canberra Times.
‘I could see it coming out of the roof. So within a 13-minute period that house had gone from being nothing to being in flames.’
Another neighbour said they never saw the woman or children who lived at the home.
‘They kept to themselves. There was never a lot of activity around the house,’ they told the ABC.
‘I didn’t really know who lived there. Didn’t even know that there were kids there.
‘Around here, the kids were always playing, you always see the kids out on the street. But there, that house… very very little activity.’
One neighbour, who confirmed the family kept to themselves, said she couldn’t believe the tragedy happened so close to home.
‘Very terrible honestly, last night I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t believe that the children died on fire,’ she told Nine News.
But despite an initial search of the property, it was ruled no people were inside and there were no casualties
Questions remain about how the bodies were not discovered earlier.
An ACT Policing spokesman declined to comment further on how they were missed first time around when asked by Daily Mail Australia.
They also said they were unable to confirm details of the identities and ages of the three people who died.
A spokesman for ACT Policing said: ‘The investigation into a suspicious fire which occurred at a residence in Bonner this morning (Monday) remains ongoing.
‘Around 8.45am, ACT Policing and ACT Fire and Rescue responded to reports of smoke appearing from the roof of a residence in Peter Coppin Street, Bonner.
‘Following a structural assessment, a full search has now been conducted and three people were located deceased inside the residence.’
Detectives are now appealing for witnesses and have urged people with information to come forward
Detectives are now appealing for witnesses and have urged people with information to come forward.
‘A crime scene will remain in place while ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations conduct further inquiries,’ police said.
‘At this time the identities of the deceased persons have not been confirmed.
‘A report will be prepared for the coroner.’
ACT Fire and Rescue said earlier in a statement it had ‘conducted a primary search of the building and confirmed there is no one inside’.
The spokesman added: ‘Crews arrived to find a home well alight. Three pumpers, breathing apparatus support and two commanders are on scene.’
Anyone who may have seen the incident or witnessed anything which can help the investigation is asked to call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website quoting reference 6235814. Information can be given anonymously.