A tragic house fire in Melbourne's west has claimed the life of three-year-old Jordan Dashwood. The toddler was found deceased inside his Werribee home after a devastating blaze swept through the property in the early hours of Sunday.
Victim Identified
Little Jordan, who celebrated his third birthday in February, was remembered by his father Jeremy Dashwood in a loving online tribute. Mr Dashwood wrote at the time: 'Just wanted to wish my big son Jordan Jai Dashwood a massive happy third birthday as he has had the most exciting journey growing into this handsome as, young boy.' He added: 'I also wanted to thank all the people who wished my li'l man a happy birthday, all his pressies mummy bought him - it's time for Jordan's cake.'
Father's Condition
Mr Dashwood remains in hospital with serious burns after being rescued from the burning home by firefighters. The day before the deadly blaze, he posted a selfie from a hospital bed, already appearing to suffer extensive injuries. Covered in bandages, he wrote 'thats ak()' on Facebook. Friends and family believed he had been injured after falling off his scooter before the fire engulfed his home.
Mr Dashwood had previously expressed gratitude online, stating he was 'blessed' to have his children and family.
Investigation Underway
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Forensic examiners returned to the scene on Monday. Emergency services were called to the property on Newbury Street around midnight on Sunday following reports of several children trapped inside. Victoria Police confirmed that firefighters extinguished the blaze, which had fully engulfed the single-storey home, before discovering the child's body.
Another child, aged 11, is believed to have escaped by jumping out of a window.
Family's Grief
Jordan's grandmother, Tracie Long, identified her grandson as the victim, describing him to the ABC as 'a bubbly little boy who was happy all the time'. Assistant Chief Fire Officer Anthony Pearce described the incident as a 'real tragedy', noting that first responders faced a difficult task. He stated: 'Country Fire Authority crews were first on scene and were confronted with a very challenging situation, a very heavily involved house fire, a very chaotic scene.'
Mr Pearce added that investigators have not yet determined how the fire started or in which room it originated. He emphasised that the fire is not being treated as suspicious, but investigations are continuing. 'It's too early to tell, there's a lot of investigation both in the scene and engaging with people to try to understand what's happened,' he said. 'The fire scene is quite dangerous, there's a lot of loose and broken tiles on the roof and it's not a building that's safe to walk through at this stage.'
