Father and son critically injured as fire engulfs home in Hillside, Melbourne

A father smashed through a window, cutting an artery in his arm, to save his two sons who were trapped inside a burning home.

Fire engulfed the back of the home on Whitmore Pl in Hillside in Melbourne’s west about 9.30pm on Tuesday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Family injured as fire engulfs home in Melbourne’s west.

It’s understood the blaze started in the bedroom of two boys — Zayne, 7, and Izaiah, 9.

Unable to enter the room, their father James ran outside and smashed a window to get in.

He pulled the pair out of the window, sustaining serious burns and cut an artery in his arm in the process.

His partner Rochelle managed to escape with their three-year-old daughter Ava-Leigh.

Both James and his son Zayne suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital in critical conditions.

Zayne was placed in the ICU at the Royal Children’s Hospital with third-degree burns to his face, hands and feet according to James’ sister Laressa Turetahi.

James is also in the ICU.

Rochelle and Izaiah suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were also taken to hospital.

The pair both have third-degree burns but are in stable conditions.

Ava-Leigh sustained minor burns to her face.

Turetahi said an oil heater was responsible for the fire.

“This young family has lost their home, their belongings, and their sense of safety all in a single night,” she said in a fundraiser she set up for the family.

“Doctors have said it will be a long and painful road to recovery for all of them, both physically and emotionally.”

Neighbour Louise Sheehan told 7NEWS she was awoken by another neighbour who told her about the fire.

Sheehan said the family had only lived at the home for about two years.

“I just saw a lot of smoke … apparently it was all the way down the street,” she said.

“(They are a) good working class family. Really, really nice people.

“It’s devastating … you can rebuild a house, you can do everything but just personal belongings, what you’ve got in there, your whole life, it’s just gone in a second.”

Fire crews managed to get the blaze under control within about 30 minutes, containing it to the rear living area of the home.

Severe heat and smoke damage has impacted the remaining areas of the property, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.