A Tragic Fire in Werribee: A Community in Mourning
A three-year-old boy has died and his father is in hospital with serious burns after a house fire in Werribee, a suburb of Melbourne, in the early hours of Monday morning. The tragedy has sparked urgent questions about emergency response times and resource allocation in the city's fast-growing outer west.
The Incident
Emergency services were called to a house fire on Newbury Street, Werribee, shortly after midnight.
The fire claimed the life of three-year-old Jordan Dashwood. His father, Jeremy Dashwood (reported as age 39 or 40), sustained serious burns and was hospitalized in a serious but stable condition at The Alfred Hospital.
Two other family members, including an 11-year-old brother who escaped through a window, evacuated the house uninjured. Two older siblings were not present at the time of the fire. The family's two dogs also died in the incident.
According to reports, the father broke a window to re-enter the house in an attempt to rescue his son. A neighbor reported hearing loud bangs and seeing flames from both sides of the house.
Emergency Response
Firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes of the call. Initial reports from a Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) incident list stated a three-minute arrival time; the service later acknowledged this was incorrect and apologized for the error.
Factual response times reported by multiple sources are as follows:
- An ambulance arrived within approximately four minutes.
- The first fire truck, a Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer vehicle from Hoppers Crossing, arrived after approximately 9 to 10 minutes.
- A Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) truck from Point Cook arrived after approximately 11 minutes.
Upon arrival, firefighters initially believed all occupants had self-evacuated, according to Assistant Chief Fire Officer Anthony Pearce. Jordan's body was later discovered during a search of the house.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Police have stated they do not suspect foul play. A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Resourcing and Response Time Context
The fire has drawn sharp attention to the resourcing and response times of fire services in Melbourne's outer western suburbs.
The nearest FRV station to the incident is at Tarneit. On the night of the fire, that station's only truck and crew were attending a road accident. The United Firefighters Union (UFU) stated that the Tarneit station has long requested a second fire truck. Leading Firefighter Josh Mitchell of Tarneit station stated that the station is built for four trucks and should have at least two, given the area's population growth. The union claimed that a second truck at the Tarneit station could have reduced the response time to 5-6 minutes.
An FRV spokesperson confirmed that the closest available resource (the CFA crew) responded first, and that FRV resources arrived as soon as they became available.
Response Time Performance Data
FRV Service Standard: FRV's target is to respond to Code One callouts within 7 minutes and 42 seconds, 90% of the time.
Overall FRV Performance: FRV has not met this target since its formation in 2020. Data from November–December 2025 showed FRV responded to 88% of structure fires within the benchmark. This was the 21st consecutive quarterly miss.
Regional Disparities: Data from July to September 2025 shows the following percentages of structural fires met the benchmark in specific areas:
- Caroline Springs: 44%
- Tarneit: 58%
- Point Cook: 67%
- Melton: 73%
Average Response Time: The average response time for the Tarneit FRV station during the July-September 2025 period was 12 minutes. The station had 271 emergency callouts in that period, the highest in its FRV group.
Official Statements
"This tragedy could have been avoided with better resources. Firefighters believe a different outcome was possible."
— Peter Marshall, United Firefighters Union Secretary
Marshall also stated that no new FRV fire stations have been built since 2020 and that funding has not matched population growth.
An FRV spokesperson confirmed the closest available resource responded and apologized for the error in the initial incident list. The agency stated it is working to improve response times.
"Resourcing allocation is a matter for FRV. An investigation into the fire will occur."
— Harriet Shing, Victorian Ambulance Services Minister
A government spokesperson extended sympathies to the family and noted that operational decisions are made by fire agencies.
"FRV faces challenges in outer suburbs due to rapid population growth and limited new resources."
— Craig Lapsley, Former Emergency Management Commissioner
Nick McGowan, Liberal MP, stated that growth corridors are under-resourced.
Budget Context
FRV's budget has increased from $918 million in the 2020–21 financial year to $1.227 billion in the last financial year. Overall Victorian fire services expenditure was $2.38 billion in 2024–25, up from $2.16 billion in 2018–19 (adjusted for inflation). The office of Vicki Ward, a government minister, highlighted a 33% budget increase for fire services and noted FRV's response times are faster than those in other states.