Police have revealed shock new details about a horror house fire near Brisbane that killed five children and their 34-year-old father.
Wayne Godinet died in the towering blaze along with his biological twin boys aged four and his son, aged three. His stepsons, Zack, 11 and Harry, 10 also perished in the blaze when their Todman Street home on Queensland’s Russell Island went up in flames on Sunday morning about 6am.
The children’s mother, Samantha Stephenson, 28, is recovering in hospital along with a female relative, 20, after the pair miraculously managed to escape.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said there were several elements of the house fire that needed more investigation or clarification.
He said there was no determination on whether the blaze was suspicious or not.
Superintendent Massingham said officers would be focusing efforts on retrieving the bodies from the scene before formal identification processes would begin.
He said the ‘male victim’ was known to police and that officers had been called to the home on several occasions before the fire.
The nature and frequency of those visits would be investigated, Massingham said.
Father Wayne Godinet, 34, and his five sons (pictured) were trapped in a deadly fire on Queensland’s Russell Island
The children’s mother, Samantha Stephenson, 28 (right with Mr Godinet), is recovering in hospital along with a female relative, 20, after the pair miraculously managed to escape.
In total, nine people were treated at the scene after the fire spread to two other properties on Todman Street, about 60km southeast of Brisbane.
Police confirmed on Sunday afternoon that six bodies had been found in the smouldering wreckage as it was revealed Mr Godinet bravely re-entered the burning house to try and save the five children.
He tragically became trapped upstairs with the boys moments before the second storey collapsed.
Neighbour Angela Dowson described Mr Godinet as a ‘super dad’.
‘He was a hero and he would have done everything in his power to get those kids out, so obviously it was impossible,’ she told The Courier Mail.
‘He was just a doting father who couldn’t wait to get home to play with the kids. He would be absolutely buggered after work and he just wanted to play with them.
‘The whole community is devastated, absolutely shattered.’
The blaze was so intense firefighters were only able to pick through the remains of the house in the late afternoon after battling it from 6:18am
Investigators will continue to comb through the rubble to determine what sparked the horror blaze as friends react to the devastating news.
Family friend Peter Macloughlin visited the remains of the family home on Sunday.
‘The mother came out very distressed saying the children were inside as was her partner there was nothing I could do,’ he told Nine news.
Mr Macloughlin said he was ‘devastated’ for the family.
‘(They were) great kids, the older one I just gave him a bike yesterday,’ he said.
The blaze was so intense firefighters were only able to pick through the remains of the house in the late afternoon after battling it from 6:18am.
Police were only able to clear the rubble and find the charred remains at night.
‘Once the fire was extinguished this afternoon by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services an initial examination of the scene located the bodies of six people, believed to be a man and five children,’ police said.
‘A port-mortem and scientific examination will take place to confirm the identities of the deceased.’
Neighbour Angela Dowson who described Mr Godinet (pictured with his two children) as a ‘super dad’, revealed that Mr Godinet had run inside the house to try and save the five kids
But Mr Godinet (pictured with his son) tragically became trapped upstairs with the boys moments before the second storey collapsed
Superintendent Matthew Kelly said Ms Stephenson was being treated in hospital in a stable condition but was very distressed. Her relative is also in a stable condition.
‘These are young boys that could have become men in the future and a man has lost his life as well,’ he said.
‘We are still speaking with this lady, who has lost her entire family. It is truly tragic.’
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A GoFundMe page has been raised by family friend Lily Salter.
‘On this tragic morning Samantha lost her 5 beautiful boys and there father to a house fire,’ the post reads.
‘We have started this go fund me to assist Samantha in the cost to putting her beautiful family to rest. Whatever you can donate will be appreciated.
Superintendent Matthew Kelly said Ms Stephenson (pictured) is being treated in hospital in a stable condition but was very distressed
The blaze completely destroyed the property it originated from and spread to two other houses
Mr Godinet has been praised for his heroic effort in trying to get his children out of the house
‘This a horrific circumstance and we appreciate any assistance you may be able to give.
‘Samantha will also be in need of the essential like clothes , personal hygiene products ect.
‘She had lost everything . We also appreciate you giving Samantha some time and space to grieve at this time as you can imagine.’
Supt Kelly said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
‘We are not treating it as suspicious at this stage, preliminary investigations do not suggest that,’ he said.
Emergency services described the scene as ‘confronting’.
One local said he heard an ‘explosion’ before he saw black smoke pouring into the sky.
‘Heard explosions earlier this morning and then saw the black smoke,’ the wrote in a local Facebook group.
‘I am saddened by the whole thing.’
Russell Island Rural Fire Brigade responded first to the blaze, with witnesses then seeing ambulance and fire trucks from the mainland boarding a barge to the island to assist
Ms Godinet, who perished while trying to save his five sons, was described as a ‘doting father’
The blaze then spread to two other houses, sending plumes of thick smoke billowing into the sky.
One home collapsed while firefighters worked to douse the flames on another.
About 20 firefighters were able to extinguish the flames on a third home.
Anyone with information or relevant footage of the incident are being urged to come forward as an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
‘Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire,’ police said.
Russell Island Rural Fire Brigade responded first to the blaze, with witnesses then seeing ambulance and fire trucks from the mainland boarding a barge to the island to assist.
Nine people, including neighbours, were treated at the scene by paramedics.
