Slacks Creek house fire victims mourned at memorial service ahead of funerals

HUNDREDS of mourners have packed a Mt Gravatt church as memorial services and funerals for the Slacks Creek fire victims get under way.

Singers at Lale family memorial ceremony

HUNDREDS of mourners have packed a Mt Gravatt church to pay an emotional tribute to six members of a family who died in the devastating fire at Slacks Creek last month.

The memorial service, held at the Hillsong Church, was for Neti Lale, 42, and her children Jerry, 18, Paul, 17, Lafoa'i, 14, Sela, 10 and Richie, 8, ahead of a funeral tomorrow.

The children's father and Neti's husband Jeremiah survived.

Many at the service, which was to run until 9pm and be delivered mostly in Samoan, wore traditional dress or dressed all in black or white.

Others wore black T-shirts with "Rest in Peace" on the back and pictures of their lost loved ones on the front.

Large photos of the deceased were displayed at the front of the stage, where tearful friends and relatives spoke of those they had lost.

The service and tomorrow's funeral are the first in a series for the 11 victims.

Three women and eight children from three generations of the Lale, Taufa and Matauaina families were killed in a house fire on Wagonsveldt St, Slacks Creek, in the early hours of August 24, leaving only three survivors.

Tau Taufa, 65, Jeremiah Lale, 36, and Misi Matauaina, 26, were the only fire survivors.

Tau lost his wife Fusi.

Jeremiah's wife and children, Neti, Jerry, 18, Paul, 17, Lafoa'i, 14, Selamafi, 9 and Richard, 7, all perished in the fire.

Misi lost his partner Annamaria Taufu, 23, and their two daughters La'Haina, 7, and Kahlani, 3.

Their cousin Ardelle Lee, 16, who was staying the night, also died.

The funeral for Neti Lale and the five Lale children is scheduled to be held at 10am tomorrow at the Hillsong Church on Rover Road in Mt Gravatt.

Memorial services for the Matauaina and Taufu families are also scheduled to start tomorrow at 7pm at the Uniting Church on Bardon Road in Kingston.

The services will be held every night, with the Friday night service going from 5pm to midnight, and the funeral scheduled for Saturday.

A memorial honouring families lost in the tragic house fire has been held at Mabel Park High School in the lead-up to their funerals.

Family of and friends of the children attended the unveiling of a plaque on a rock in some gardens, while students released some orange balloons.

Wreaths were laid at the bottom of the boulder.

Donations are still being collected for the families who lost their family and their home.

A second benefit concert for the families is scheduled to be held in Sydney on October 1 at a yet to be determined location.

One held in the Queen Street Mall in Brisbane two weeks ago raised about $15,000.

Logan community leaders want to remind those who would like to donate to the families to donate to the Salvation Army Appeal, so that the donations will be distributed evenly among the Taufu, Matauaina and Lale families.

The leaders are also continuing to co-ordinate gifts and donations for the families.

One official said the items in most immediate need for the families were cash, gift vouchers - such as supermarket, department store and petrol vouchers - and some linen.

Donations can be dropped off or posted to the Sandlewood Op Shop on Beaudesert Road, Moorooka or through www.givit.org.au

For more information visit www.sandlewoodopshop.com.au

To donate money visit http://salvos.org.au

Investigators have ruled the tragic house fire as an accident.

The home was demolished last week.