The stepfather of a young girl who is one of three children fighting for her life after a horrific house fire has revealed she may not survive.
Jayde Petalas made the stark admission after his children were involved in a house fire in Fergus Court in Sydenham, in Melbourne’s northwest, on Sunday night.
His stepdaughter Izabelle, 5, biological son Kalais, 3, and another one-year-old girl are fighting for their lives after being rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Authorities do not yet know what caused the fire, which severely damaged the home when no adults were present.
Victorian health authorities told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that the three remain in a critical condition.
The update comes after Mr Petalas said his children were “not doing well at all” and that Izabelle may not survive her injuries.
“It was hard to watch,” he said after visiting the children in the hospital.
Mr. Petalas is estranged from the children’s mother, Shania Lee
Neighbors said they heard explosions before and during the fire, which raged for half an hour while the children were inside. All three children remain in critical condition
Jayde Petalas (right), stepfather of five-year-old Izabelle (center) and father of three-year-old Kalais (right), said Izabelle may not survive her injuries
“Happy little kids. That’s what they were. They liked everything. No child deserves this.”
Emergency services were called to the house on Sunday after a large explosion occurred, alerting neighbours to the fire.
Neighbors described the sound as that of gunfire or an exploding car.
Firefighters entered the home to fight the fire and found three unconscious children. They were treated at the scene by paramedics.
The children and their mother moved into the property a week ago. Mr. Petalas does not live in the house.
Damage to adjacent properties was assessed for smoke damage, but the fire had not spread.
“When I first came out, some of us heard screaming,” recalled one anonymous resident.
Adolf Kolaritsch added: ‘There were just explosions, and then fire shot into the air.
Jayde Petalas (pictured with one of the children) said it was heartbreaking to hear the three children were ‘fighting for their lives’
Police say they are not making assumptions about the circumstances of the fire (photo from the fire investigation)
Another said it was heartbreaking to hear the children were ‘fighting for their lives’.
Before the flames engulfed the house, there was a loud bang followed by a series of explosions, raising fears that fireworks had started the fire.
However, Victoria Police’s Arson and Explosives Squad Acting Inspector Adam Henry said they had not found any evidence of this so far.
Victoria Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.