Teen dies in Vic house fire, friends flee
A teenage boy has been killed in a Victorian house fire while his friends managed to flee to safety.
Ridge Hilton was found dead in his bedroom after flames engulfed his family's Orchard Circuit home in Shepparton around 4am.
Heartbroken friends gathered outside the 17-year-old's home earlier today where they wept and hugged one another.
The boy's parents are believed to have left him home alone while they went on an interstate holiday.
Ridge Hilton, 17, died in a house fire tragedy at Shepparton overnight. Photo: Supplied
Neighbours called triple-zero after seeing smoke billowing out of the house around 4am (AEST) on Friday, but the fire had engulfed the entire property by the time the first fire trucks arrived.
Firefighters then found the body in a bedroom after the fire was put out in about 30 minutes, a CFA spokesman said.
Police say around six boys and girls were also inside the home when the fire started and were able to get out uninjured.
It's believed the fire started in the same bedroom where the boy's body was discovered, but arson squad detectives have been called in to investigate since the fire is a fatality.
"Anywhere where there's a loss - whether it's life or property - it does in some shape or form affect the firefighters," CFA duty officer Shane Sutton told Fairfax Radio.
A police spokesman says the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Friends are mourning the death of Ridge Hilton, 17, killed in a Shepparton house fire. Photo: Supplied
