Residents woken by explosions after cars firebombed in Melbourne's west

Residents on a quiet Melbourne street were forced to take quick action after two cars were firebombed, setting fire to nearby homes.

A Subaru Outback and a Mitsubishi were set on fire on a quiet street in Braybrook in the city's west overnight.

Residents in the street were woken up by loud explosions, with one man forced to shield his young children from the flames.

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Tuan Vu said he did whatever he could to stop the flames from spreading to his home, forced to use a garden hose to battle the fire.

"[I] heard a bang from the window," he said.

The victims were able to evacuate after their dog's barking alerted them to the fire/

Nearby residents called Triple Zero after the explosions shattered the night sky.

Firefighters saved the home but both cars were destroyed.

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The people who set fire to the cars were wearing balaclavas and fled in a red sedan as soon as the fire began.

A neighbour's security camera was found dismantled and dumped in a nearby bin.

The family does not know why their home was targeted, with police investigating a motive for the attack.

This includes a line of inquiry where the attack was a case of mistaken identity and the real target lives nearby.

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