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As a fire burned inside a Warnbro home in Perth's south, a man was seen on CCTV walking to neighbours, emerging from the backyard cradling a three year-old girl.
The blaze broke out just before 1am on Friday, police arriving within minutes and rushing towards the burning home on Currie Street.
Mother-of-four Erica Hay was found dead inside, the body of the 30-year-old discovered by police in the back bedroom.
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"He was yelling out 'fire' and I can hear the smoke alarms going off so we came out, saw him holding the little girl, went over to talk to him and he was coughing," neighbour Michelle told 9News.
"He said he wasn't sure … if she was in there or anyone was in the house."
Arson squad investigators spent the day probing the blaze as homicide and forensic police gathered evidence, setting up a tent in the backyard.
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"To first responders and emergency services, a very confronting scene for them," David Gorton from WA Police said.
The man, 35, and child who were seen walking out of the home were taken to Rockingham Hospital with smoke inhalation.
The man is now in police custody. The little girl is in a stable condition.
Her mother had given birth to her 14 weeks premature in 2021.
A year later, falling on hard times, Hay put out a plea to the community asking for help.
"I'm a mother of four girls and in deep need of some help, our fridge is bare, our cupboards are bare and our bank accounts are at zero," a Facebook post read.
Those girls are now grappling with their mother's death.
