A person has been killed in a horror house fire in Melbourne’s north-west as the arson squad launched an investigation.
Dozens of firefighters and emergency services raced the scene in St Albans about 6.15am Friday and arrived to find Conrad Street home fully alight.
Smoke and flames billowed from the roof as the blaze threatened neighbouring properties.
Thirty firefighters battled the blaze for about 20 minutes before it was extinguished.
An occupant was pulled from the gutted home by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
They were treated at the scene by paramedics but was unable to be revived.
One person was killed in horror house fire in St Albans on Friday morning (stock image)
The victim is yet to be formally identified by police.
A crime scene was declared as police blocked off off the entire street.
Detectives from Victoria Police’s arson and explosives squad have made their way to the scene to investigate the blaze and doorknock residents.
An arson chemist will attend the gutted home later on Friday, police said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
The property was believed to contain asbetsos.
‘In response to a fire there are always challenges such as falling debris from the structure that is impacted, that creates lots of hazards, smoke is also a hazard…. It’s always dangerous to enter a burning building,’ FRV Incident Controller Nicholas Allen told reporters.
‘This property was also deemed to have asbestos in it so that was another hazard they had to deal with.’
Shocked neighbours in the quiet suburban street recalled seeing a body being removed from the home.
‘I heard it this morning but firefighters arrived so fast and got it under control so I did not think it would be so bad,’ one woman told the Herald Sun.
‘It’s just devastating, I did not know them as it’s several houses up but this is just so sad.’
Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
![Firefighters arrived at the home in Conrad Street (pictured) to find flames and smoke billowing from the roof](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/23/82756183-13225617-image-a-19_1711062777680.jpg)
Firefighters arrived at the home in Conrad Street (pictured) to find flames and smoke billowing from the roof
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