Twin girls dead after house fire west of Byron Bay

Twin girls have died after a house fire, which is believed to have been started by a candle on top of a piano, near the New South Wales town of Byron Bay.

Emergency services were called to the single-storey property in Goonengerry shortly after 4am on Sunday amid reports two children were suffering from smoke inhalation.

Police officers and paramedics performed CPR on both children but the four-year-old girls were unable to be revived.

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Officers were left with the task of informing the children's mother.

Superintendent Dave Roptell from NSW Police described the deaths as "really sad."

He said the arson squad was helping with investigations.

"It's unbelievably devastating. It's just a tragic set of circumstances," he said.

"There are still a number of inquiries to make as to the exact cause.

"The police and the emergency services that were there did an exceptional job in getting in and doing their best to attempt to try and save those two poor young people's lives."

He was unable to say who discovered the fire, or if the house had smoke alarms, but confirmed there was a gathering going on close by to the home.

The piano was in the room where the girls were asleep, he said.

The acrylic keys and other materials were left to smoulder.

The building is part of a multiple-occupancy community, about 30km west of Byron Bay.

Anyone who has any information about the fire has been asked to contact Crime Stoppers.