ACT police are investigating a possible murder after recovering three bodies from a north Canberra house that caught fire on Monday morning.
Police are yet to formally identify the three victims, but SBS News has been told by neighbours the occupants were a mother and two young children.
Detectives have concluded the fire in the capital city suburb of Bonner was not an accident.
“We can say, after our investigation last night, that the fires were deliberately lit,” Superintendent Scott Moller told reporters at the scene on Tuesday.
Investigators believe fires were lit in multiple locations in different parts of the house, and also suspect accelerants may have been used to help the blaze take hold.
Mr Moller described the crime scene as “difficult”, and said police would chase down “every lead”.
No one has been arrested and police will not say if they have a list of suspects, or whether the fire may have been lit by one of the deceased.
“This investigation is complex. It's going to be a significant investigation for us and it will be ongoing for some time,” Mr Moller said.
Salvation Army volunteers knocked on neighbours’ doors on Tuesday, offering counselling for those struggling to cope with the tragedy.
“It seems as though they were a fairly quiet family, not well known by the neighbours,” Salvos major Bob Garven told SBS News.
But the sudden deaths still came as a shock to many neighbours in the quiet suburban street.
Greg Lowicki, who lives in the house next door, said his wife had been badly affected.
“We're devastated, especially my wife. Because on Saturday she saw the little girl standing here, looking at her. She works with kids at the child care so it hit her very hard,” Mr Lowicki said.
“She didn't go to work today, she couldn’t sleep all night. When she closed her eyes, she saw her face.”
Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
