A man has been praised for saving the lives of four children after their father allegedly set fire to their home, killing three of their siblings in Sydney’s west.
Emergency services, including at least 20 firefighters and six fire engines, were called to Freeman Street in Lalor Park. At 1 a.m. Sunday, following reports that a house was on fire.
The man allegedly responsible was Dean Heasman, 29, who had a decade-long de facto relationship with Stacey Gammage, 29.
Heasman is alleged to have set fire to the house while Ms Gammage and her seven children were inside.
Two children, aged three and six, were taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition but died a short time later.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the blaze before the body of a third child, believed to be a 10-month-old girl, was found.
Neighbor Jarrod Hawkins ran to the burning home just minutes after it was engulfed in flames and helped save four children who were inside.
Details of their heroism emerged when a heartbreaking sight emerged in front of the house after the fire: a lone baby walker on the lawn with colorful toys in stark contrast to the burned home.
Dean Heasman, 28, was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital in police custody.
Three young children, including a 10-month-old girl, have died in a house fire (pictured) on Freeman Street, Lalor Park, in Sydney’s west.
Police allege Heasman (pictured with 9-year-old Stacey Gammage) deliberately lit the fire and tried to prevent first responders and police from entering the home to save the children.
Without hesitation, Mr Hawkins ran into the house and helped bring a nine-year-old girl and three boys aged 11, seven and four to safety.
“I heard some things outside at 1am but when I came out there were already emergencies so I couldn’t do anything,” Hawkins told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.
The young father explained that his daughter was friends with the nine-year-old girl and said that one of the children had autism.
She described the children as “unreal” and said Ms Gammage and Heasman seemed happy.
His partner told Daily Mail Australia she was proud of him for running into the house and trying to help.
‘He “He did what anyone would do: he heard the sirens and ran over there,” he said.
“I’m very proud of him. It’s what you would expect someone to do for your children. ‘I don’t know what he heard when he got home and I can’t imagine it.’
Another neighbor, Damien Dubois, said the three front rooms of the house were lit up and the surviving children were located across the street.
“They had seven kids. I had four and they were cold, so we picked them up and took them into the back room,” Dubois said.
“I was trying to comfort them. The two younger children weren’t saying anything, so I picked them up and moved them out of the way of all that trauma.”
Neighbour Jarrod Hawkins (pictured hugging his son) was praised for running into the burning house. Police said Hawkins’ actions “saved more lives”.
Neighbour Damien Dubois (pictured) rushed to the scene to help the surviving children.
Mr Dubois said the older boy, who had burns on both arms, approached him and said: “He (Heasman) tried to kill me, I almost died.”
He added that both Mr Hawkins and the police were yelling at Heasman to “get out, get out” of the burning house.
Blacktown Police Acting Superintendent Jason Pietruszka praised the actions of first responders as “quite heroic”.
“The first responders were pretty heroic in what they did, trying to access a property that was on fire,” he said.
Mr Pietruszka said Mr Hawkins provided assistance at the scene and his actions “saved more lives”.
The four children rescued from the burning house were treated at the scene before being taken to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition.
Ms Gammage was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, while Heasman was arrested and taken to hospital in police custody.
Heasman suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation from the fire and was placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit.
A baby walker was seen on the front lawn of the home, its colorful toys in stark contrast to the blackened house.
The fire razed the house, with bricks and window frames blackened and destroyed by flames that burst through the windows (pictured).
The State Crime Command’s homicide squad along with the arson squad have launched an investigation into the exact circumstances that led to the fire.
During a news conference Sunday, police alleged that Heasman impeded efforts by first responders, police and neighbors to access the home and save the children.
“These actions were intentional to keep first responders and neighbours off the property with the intention of keeping children inside the property,” said Homicide Squad Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty.
Neighbors who rushed to the scene and desperately tried to save the children from the burning house were reportedly repelled by Heasman.
Sources say the father allegedly tried to drag the children back inside as rescuers tried to get them to safety.
Heasman allegedly wanted to remain with the children, his mother and himself inside the house.
Witnesses are believed to have heard Heasman yell something along the lines of “let me die here” as the fire raged.
Devastating images have emerged following the fire, in which the fire has completely destroyed the property from the inside out.
The front of the house was blackened and the exterior bricks were stained by flames bursting through the windows.
The exterior window frames were scorched by the fire, and flames even licked at the roof gutters.
The front door of the house appeared to have lost its hinges and the electrical cables leading into the house also appeared to have been burned by the fire.
The house is understood to have been owned by the housing commission, where Ms Gammage lived with Heasman and the seven children.
Family photos have resurfaced showing a father smiling with his partner and children, before he is accused of dragging the children into a burning house.
Mr Doherty said police were treating the fire as a domestic-related multiple homicide.
“At this stage it appears the 28-year-old man is responsible for multiple deaths of young lives that have been tragically taken,” Doherty said.
‘We allege the 28-year-old man took steps to prevent the young men inside from being rescued.’
The homicide squad of the State Crime Command together with the arson squad have llaunched an investigation into the exact circumstances that led to the fire.
Police are also using a specially trained sniffer dog to determine how the fire spread so quickly.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
