A devastated local community is coming to terms with the death of a woman and a schoolgirl in a “horrific” overnight fire that gutted a family home.

There were 10 people inside the home in St Johns Road, Heckenberg, in Sydney’s south-west, when the fire broke out shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Most had already escaped by the time firefighters arrived, but the bodies of a 46-year-old woman and a six-year-old girl – named by media as Veronica Carmady and her daughter Aurora – were recovered from inside the property.

Eight other people – including four children – escaped the blaze, although one girl and a man are fighting for their lives in hospital.

Neighbours reportedly forced entry to the burning building and helped some of those inside escape.

Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said he could not speak highly enough about the heroic actions.

“It goes to show you the tremendous people we have in our society, people that are members of the community, that just put themselves at risk to help people in the greatest time of need, that would take tremendous courage,” he said.

“An incredible act of heroism for their neighbours, putting themselves in danger to protect people at a time of great risk.”

One neighbour helped a young girl out of the house after forcing his way in, the man’s son told Seven News.

“All we heard was screaming,” one teenage neighbour said.

“One of the parents was outside screaming that his kids were still inside.

“[My dad] had to grab a swing and smash one of the windows and help someone get inside to grab the little girl.”

Veronica Carmady and her six-year-old daughter died in the “horrific” fire in Sydney’s west. Photo: Facebook

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said authorities were at the fire within minutes of receiving an emergency call, but the scale of the blaze meant their best efforts could not save the duo.

“[It’s an] absolute tragedy, devastating news for the community … We were here within a couple of minutes [but] there’s nothing they could do,” he told Sydney radio 2GB.

“This home is completely gutted, it’s absolutely been destroyed, fire has ripped through the home and it’s actually just a shell of itself.”

Dewberry said the fire was “horrific and confronting”.

Fewtrell said firefighters tried to get into a blazing house through a window but were beaten back by the intensity of the flames.

“I’d just like to commend the efforts of firefighters. They were confronted with a very challenging scene,” he said.

Four trucks raced to the scene and 16 firefighters took an hour and a half to extinguish the blaze.

There is so far no indication the house had working smoke alarms.

A two-year-old was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital and remained in a critical condition on Wednesday. A 50-year-old man was taken to Concord Hospital, also in a critical condition.

A 14-year-old girl was taken to Liverpool Hospital.

NSW Police said a two-year-old boy, seven-year-old girl, a man aged 36 and two women aged 37 and 51, were checked at the scene by paramedics.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

The deadly blaze follows a fatal fire at Guildford, in Sydney’s west, on Tuesday.

That fire was believed to be caused by an e-bike battery, while no working smoke alarm was found in the property.

-with AAP