Son 'devastated' to lose parents in 'suspicious' house fire I would like to be left alone to try and come to terms with this news. Neighbours described hearing an "explosion" before the fire at the £400,000 three-bed semi at about 2am. When emergency services searched the smoke-filled house they found two bodies upstairs. They pulled a third person from a bedroom but she died in hospital of severe burns a short time later. A couple who live next door and who did not wish to be named said they were woken by an explosion, which apparently came from the kitchen area of the property. They then saw smoke fill the building. The fire is being treated as suspicious but police are not looking for anyone else in connection with it. Greater Manchester Police and the Fire and Rescue Service are carrying out a joint investigation. Dave Hull, Bolton Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent, said: "Three people have tragically lost their lives and our thoughts are with their loved ones at this time. We have launched a joint investigation with the fire service and experts from both agencies will be working together to find out what happened and why. I know people, especially in the local community, will be shocked and anxious to find out what has gone on and as soon as we are able to provide further updates we will do so. I do not want to second-guess or prejudice the outcome of these investigations but in the interests of absolute transparency want to make it clear that we are treating these deaths as suspicious and are not looking for anyone in connection with the fire at this time. There will be extra officers in the area and I would ask local residents to come and speak to us if they have any information or concerns. The victims were so badly burned it is thought investigators were unable to determine whether they were male or female. Neighbours said Mr and Mrs Rafie, who are originally from Iran, were well liked and respected in the area. Mr Rafie ran a computer retail shop while his wife, nicknamed Mona, was a clerk at the store before she got a job at a clothes shop. Her mother is believed to have moved into the house on Albert Road West after being diagnosed with cancer. The couple also have another son, Arash, who is a medical student. One neighbour, who declined to be named, said: "This morning I heard an explosion of some sort and looked out of the window and just saw smoke. My husband dialled 999 and the emergency services were very quick to arrive. The smoke came through the house and we could smell it straight away. The Rafies were very good neighbours and they're very family-orientated. The mother-in-law had not been very well and she had been staying with them from London. Mona had gone to London to get her and bring her back because she had lung cancer. She brought her up here and was staying here because she was going to have treatment at the Christie cancer hospital [in Manchester]. They were really nice neighbours and they looked after us. They used to come and check on the house whenever we were away. We can't believe it what's happened, we are shocked. Another neighbour, Maria Taylor, 48, said: "I was woken by the sound of the fire engines and at that point I just saw all the fire and police. There were about four ambulances. I was hoping that the family were away as there are normally two cars on the drive and when I looked out there was only one. I convinced myself that everything was OK because there was only one car there. But then I saw somebody being brought out of the house and they were doing CPR on them in the front garden before being taken away in an ambulance. The smoke was really thick. They had to break down the door to gain access and use the battering ram to get in and started with the hoses straight away. It's so sad, especially because it is so close to Christmas. They had just had some building work done to the front wall but nothing out of the ordinary. They were a lovely family. We are just so shocked. Another neighbour added: "We saw flames coming out of the kitchen, it was awful. They were lovely people and very good neighbours. The fire happened 12 years after Mr Rafie was the victim of an armed robbery at his shop, in which a gunman shot at him and a colleague. He told a local newspaper afterwards how he had "stared death in the face" and tried to fight off two robbers with a plank of wood. He said at the time: "I was in the line of fire when he shot the gun. I didn't think about myself, I was just worried about my friends.