Close relatives of the twin three-year-old girls who died in a horrific fire in Batlow this week has paid tribute to the "cheeky and wild" little lives lost.
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Tammy Dubios, the aunt of Aisha and Lailani and sister of their father Geoffrey, told The Daily Advertiser her nieces had a true "spark of life" inside them.
"They were absolutely gorgeous, full of life," Ms Dubois said.
"Actually, there was a lot of the Dubois side in them. There are three of us Dubois sisters, and our mum, all of us are such tomboys and they were too.
"They loved playing in the dirt, the loved motorbikes, they loved getting out and getting dirty."
The girls' maternal aunt, Jazmyne Ford agreed, and told The Daily Advertiser they were "full of smiles".
"They were tomboys but loved pink," Ms Ford said.
"They literally did every single thing together and hated to be apart."
To their maternal grandmother, Ms Ford said, they were known as her "twinsess - twin princesses".
"Everyone who knew them just adored and loved them," Ms Ford said.
Living across the state border in Wangaratta, Ms Ford said the distance has been especially hard amid the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"Christmas will always be special to me," she said.
"[That was] the last time we were all together. We had a lovely time with them and they were just so full of life and happy."
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Ms Dubois recalled a particularly cherished memory from late last year, when the twins were found outside "painting the back fence all sorts of colours".
"I don't think they were meant to, but that's just what they did, they were adventurous," Ms Dubois said.
Aisha and Lailani lost their lives when fire consumed their Mayday Road home on Monday morning. Passersby and firefighters attempted their rescue, but they could not be saved.
Police Strike Force Edmondson has been established to investigate the circumstances that lead to the fatal fire.
Ms Dubois gave account of the harrowing moment she realised what had happened to her beloved nieces.
She had been in Tumut with her brother.
"We pulled into a servo and firies flew past us," she said.
"When we were driving, we were basically following them to Batlow and then a police paddy wagon flew past and I said to my partner, 'that's not good, that's either a car crash or a house fire'.
"Then I smelt the smoke, and I saw it, I just screamed, 'that's my brother's house', it was heartbreaking."
Ms Dubois also lives in the small town, within proximity of the now-destroyed Mayday Road dwelling.
"Every time I walk out, I see it. Looking out my window, I see it, everywhere I look, I see it and it breaks my heart again," she said.
"It just doesn't seem like this is real life. It's like something from a movie or something, you can't believe it's happened. I just feel numb inside."
In the wake of the devastating fire, family members of the girls' mother began a GoFundMe page that has garnered more than $10,000 in a day.
The page was started by the girls' maternal uncle, Levi Ford, who living in Queensland, never had the chance to meet his nieces in person.
"Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to meet them, and never will," Mr Ford told The Daily Advertiser.
"Every time I would FaceTime with them they would always be smiling and laughing, always getting up to mischief."
The house was destroyed along with much of the mother's and six-year-old brother Dominic's belongings. Mr Ford started the GoFundMe as a way to help his sister rebuild her life.
"At the moment I'm not sure if I can make it down to my sister's," he said.
"My nephew lost everything in the fire not only his twin sisters. The last thing my sister needs is to have to worry about money."
Originally, the crowdfunder target was placed as $2000, but within 12 hours it had far exceeded that.
"I'm just so grateful and amazed by the kindness and generosity from the people who have donated," he said.
"I understand things are tough right now with everything going on and I really do appreciate everything everyone has done for my sister and the family."
In light of the crowdfunder, Ms Dubois said she too had been filled with hope to see so many people, even strangers, coming to the family's aid at this time.
"It's amazing how people have cared, there's been some who have donated like $500 at a time for a family they don't even know," she said.