Wayne Godinet and his five children – Zac, 11, Harry, 10, four-year-old twins Kyza and Koah, and Nicky, three – died early on Sunday morning.
The fire spread to two other houses on Todman Street on the island, which is just off the mainland south-east of Brisbane.
One of those was the home of Lucia Teague and Sei Sinclaire, who fled the blaze on Sunday morning.
Teague told Today she had been woken by her uncle and looked down the hall to see a “big wall of flames”.
“Then we all just tried to, at first, put out the fire that was catching on to our balcony,” she said.
“When we realised that was useless, we grabbed everything we could – the animals, ourselves, anything in reach, and basically tried just to get out of the house.”
Sinclaire said he had seen the house behind theirs, where Godinet and the children had died, “completely engulfed in flame”.
“The heat, even from the other end of the house, you could feel it on your face, and it was just terrible,” he said.
Neighbours rushed to help them as they fled the burning home.
“One man even jumped our fence with his hose to try to help fight back the flames,” Teague said.
She was injured falling down the stairs during the escape. The house, meanwhile, was gutted.
“We honestly have no clue what we’re going to do,” Teague said.
“I was in denial the first day because from the front end of our house, everything looks normal, it’s only that you look at the back that you realise the house has pretty much been destroyed.
“I just remember thinking the entire time I was in hospital, like, I just want to go home. And then realising I can’t.”
Police continue to investigate the fire.
They have not yet determined if it is suspicious, but said some aspects of the incident require closer scrutiny.
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