Father and five boys die in Russell Island house fire, police keep ‘open mind’ over cause
Queensland Police says it is ‘keeping an open mind’ as to whether there are suspicious circumstances behind a Russell Island house fire in which a father and his five sons died.
Police are keeping an “open mind” about the cause of a horror house fire that killed a Queensland father and his five sons.
Wayne Godinet and his five sons, aged from three to 11, all perished when their high-set house at Russell Island off Brisbane went up in flames on Sunday morning.
Police initially said the fire was not being treated as suspicious, but on Monday morning Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said there were aspects “ that do require closer scrutiny”.
“No determination has been made at this stage as to whether this fire is suspicious or not,” he said.
“It is important that I tell you we are keeping an open mind in respect to this matter.”
Superintendent Massingham said Mr Godinet was known to police, and officers “had been to the residence in the past”.
“But the nature and frequency of our attendance there is subject to internal review and will be part of the investigation,” he said.
“As to whether the male was supposed to be at the address or not is still subject to investigation.”
A command centre, made up of 25 police, has been set up to investigate the fire and a crime scene has been declared.
“Today we are hopeful of removing the bodies of the six people who tragically perished in this fire yesterday,” Superintendent Massingham said
“Our disaster victim identification squad has been called in to assist in that process and they will work through that today in terms of formal identification of those persons as well as autopsies.”
The boy’s mother, 28, was released from hospital on Sunday night after being treated for smoke inhalation and shock.
Godinet guided his partner to safety and then ran back into their burning home in a vain effort to save their fivetrapped sons, losing his life alongside theirs.
The tragedy shocked the close-knit community of Russell Island off Brisbane on Sunday, as locals said the death toll of six could have been higher had the couple not alerted sleeping neighbours to the danger.
Godinet was well-liked and known to dote on the five boys, aged from three to 11, who perished when the high-set house went up soon after dawn.
Emergency crews were on the scene within minutes of the alarm being sounded about 6.20am, but nothing could be done for those trapped inside. So fierce was the inferno that two neighbouring properties were engulfed.
Mother Samantha Stephenson’s screams for help were credited with rousing the family in one of the affected houses, allowing them to escape unharmed.
Locals described a horrifying scene after the fire erupted, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky.
Having led the children’s mother to safety, the father told her he would get the boys out and she should stay put.
“She was trying to run back in there and he said, ‘No, don’t do it – I’ll get them,’ ” said island taxi driver Angela Dawson. “From what I’ve heard, the kids were trapped in a room together and he either couldn’t get to them or couldn’t get them out.
“It was an incredibly brave thing for him to do.”
Ms Dawson said the next-door family had credited the mother with saving their lives. Their house was well alight when her screams woke them in time to reach their sleeping children and get out.
Police confirmed the death of the 34-year-old man and said there was no hope for the missing boys aged 11 and 10, with four-year-old twins and a brother, 3.
The mother, 28, was in hospital with smoke inhalation and shock.
Police superintendent Matthew Kelly said the woman was too distraught to shed light on how the deadly blaze had started.
“We are still speaking with this lady, who has lost her entire family. It is truly tragic,” he said.
“These are young boys that would have become men … and a man who lost his life as well. It is really devastating for the community of Russell Island and the emergency services.”
Home to about 3600 people in Moreton Bay, southeast of Brisbane, the mangrove-fringed island boasts cheap residential land and housing that attracts retirees and low-income families. It is accessible from the mainland only by boat and ferry.
The leafy street where the tragedy took place is typical of what’s on offer: three-bedroom homes for less than $400,000, blocks of land for under $100,000.
Ms Dawson said she regularly picked up the father from the island’s ferry terminal and he would “be talking about how happy he was to get home to see the kids”.
He was a tradesman or construction worker “always wearing hi-vis” who had been on the island for about three years, she said.
“People are just devastated by what’s happened, absolutely shattered because they were such a lovely family.
“It’s just so hard to believe that all those little children are gone. We all know each other or know of each other on the island, so this is going to hit very hard.”
Superintendent Kelly said the fire was not being treated as suspicious at this early stage of the investigation.
The home in which the six victims died was the seat of the blaze and had collapsed in a blackened ruin.
The flames that spread to the neighbouring properties were extinguished before they could take hold.
Queensland Ambulance Service assistant commissioner David Hartley said nine people were treated by paramedics at the scene, and a second person had been hospitalised.
Russell Island has a Rural Fire Brigade unit staffed by volunteers, which was called out.
Local paramedics were on scene within five minutes of being alerted, Mr Hartley said.
“It was a very confronting scene for everyone,” he said.
“I’m not an expert but I’ve seen some of the footage from the scene and it looks absolutely devastating and looks to me like there was very little hope.”
Among the grim-faced onlookers was a schoolteacher who had taught the missing children.
Additional reporting: Noah Yim
