Hero tradies first on scene speak out about horror car fire

When Matt Gee-East saw black smoke billowing he thought there was a house fire - but when he realised it was a car he never expected to see kids burning inside.

Matt Gee-East rushed to stop the Baxter’s family car rolling down the street when he had a horror realisation.

“We got the back door open and that’s when I seen the kids in the car,” he told The Courier-Mail.

“I didn’t realise (the kids were in there) until the door come open, but it was too late.

“It was bad. It’s not something you want to see everyday.”

Mr Gee-East said when he saw smoke billowing from Raven St in Camp Hill, Brisbane, on Wednesday morning he initially thought it was a house fire and not a burning car with children Lainah, 6, Aaliyah, 4 and Trey, 3, inside.

The tradie ran with his two brothers to help and as he turned the corner, realised it was a car.

Ms Baxter was screaming for someone to help save her babies inside.

“When we got up here, (Hannah) was on the sidewalk screaming,” he said.

“She said her babies were in the car. It’s crazy - absolutely crazy.”

READ MORE: Mum’s family desperately tried to save her from ‘monster’ dad

Matt Gee-East who was one of the first people at the scene of the fatal car fire.

Ms Baxter, 31, died at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital overnight after being doused in petrol by her estranged husband and the children’s father, Rowan Baxter, 42.

Mr Gee-East was among several people who heroically tried to help her.

A neighbour washing his car threw a bucket of water over Ms Baxter.

Others used their garden hoses to help cool her burns, injuring themselves in the process.

They were taken to hospital with their own burns.

Rowan Baxter killed his three children and himself after he allegedly deliberately set the car alight, in Camp Hill, Brisbane -Credit ABC

One of Mr Gee-East’s brothers burnt his hand trying to help the children.

The builder, who did not provide his name to media, said he tried to pry the door open after Ms Baxter told them her kids were in the car.

“When I heard that, I went to run around and I heard the first explosion,” he told 7 News.

“As that happened, my little brother stopped me from going any closer. As that’s happened, a second one’s exploded and the car’s started rolling down the street.

Hannah and Rowan Baxter with kids Lainah, Aaliyah and Trey.

“So I stopped behind the car, held it, yelled. I burnt my hand trying to get in, but I haven’t been left with any marks - just a blister.

“I opened the door, and there was a child dead. We tried to do what we could to help, and unfortunately we were too late.”

He said him and his brothers didn’t consider themselves heroes.

Mr Baxter died on the footpath from self-inflicted wounds.

Queensland Police say it’s too early to say if it was a murder-suicide or an accident.