Heartfelt tributes continue to flow for a young girl and her babysitter who died in a horror house fire with authorities yet to rule it as as suspicious.
Eight-year-old Raven Contini was found inside the still smouldering townhouse in the Brisbane suburb of Thornside early Sunday morning, with Stephanie Ryan, 31, listed as missing.
Ms Ryan’s body was later found in the Bayside Court home where she had been babysitting Raven while her parents were away interstate.
Raven has been remembered for her great smile, while her babysitter has been described as loveable.
Ms Ryan had only arrived in Brisbane on a holiday from Alice Springs last week, five days before the horrific fire.
The police homicide squad and child protection officers are investigating the cause of the fire, with suspicious circumstances yet to be ruled out.
Among the flowers, cards and toys left outside the home was a message to Raven saying: ‘Fly high beautiful girl’.
Birkdale South State School also paid tribute on Tuesday, describing the pupil as a precious gift to the community.
Eight-year-old Raven Contini (pictured) was found inside the still smouldering townhouse in the Brisbane suburb of Thornside early on Sunday morning
Babysitter Stephanie Ryan (pictured) was initially listed as missing, but her body was later found
‘Staff and students adored her cheerfulness, friendly smiling face and imagination,’ principal Amanda Turnbull said in a statement.
‘Raven’s love for bright ribbons will forever set her apart and remind us each day of the precious gift she was to our school community.
‘Our team of Guidance Officers and Student Care team will be available to support our community this week as they also come to terms with this news.’
Raven’s mother Chloe Rodgers-Falk and stepfather Matthew were holidaying in Ballina, NSW at the time of the tragedy.
‘They are obviously devastated,’ Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said.
Ms Ryan’s family members have also laid flowers at the memorial outside the burnt out townhouse.
Her grandmother Thelma Cowell told reporters Ms Ryan was from the Northern Territory and had only been in Queensland on holiday.
‘I didn’t know them (Raven’s family) real well, I just know my granddaughter was babysitting,’ she said.
‘She was a loveable child, annoying, but she was a loveable child.’
Ms Ryan’s aunt Karen Linsley told the Courier Mail: ‘She was one word awesome, she was always smiling, always happy, well most of the time.
‘She would do anything for anyone, no matter what.’
‘She was great with kids, she was always there for all of mine, for all her cousins.
Ms Ryan had initially been declared unaccounted for after authorities were unable to get full access to the building.
About 30 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, which caused part of the roof to collapse. Her body was later found inside the gutted home on Monday.
Neighbour Xia Iheng told the ABC she tried desperately to help after seeing the fire tear through the home.
‘I said (to other witnesses) “I don’t have a hose, I only have buckets” and a young lady helped me to water the fire, but it was so strong,’ she said.
‘I feel overwhelmed, many emotions, just shocked and exhausted.’
Photos from the scene showed one side of the roof collapsed during the blaze.
A family friend was living in the garage at the time of the fire but had left briefly to go to the shops, coming home to find the townhouse (pictured) alight
Raven’s heartbroken family paid tribute to the little girl on Sunday night.
‘Loved cooking, loved shopping, love socialising, very special, very well loved eight-year-old girl,’ Christine Mary and Robert Arthur Rodgers-Falk said in a statement.
‘Nicknamed her Turtle. She was very pretty. Lifted us up when we saw her.’
Relatives of both victims have organised online fundraisers.
‘Stephy will always be remembered as a smiley happy young woman always there for anyone that needed her without question with great love for her family and friends,’ Ms Linsley posted on GoFundMe.
‘We are all devastated with the news of what happened yesterday.
‘We would like to give Steph the send off she deserves any help is much appreciated by all our family.’
A family friend was living in the garage at the time of the fire but had left briefly to go to the shops, coming home to find the townhouse alight.
Letters and flowers in tribute to eight-year-old Raven have been left at the scene (pictured)
A letter reading ‘fly high beautiful girl’ was accompanied by a hand drawn dove (pictured)
The man had been ‘very co-operative’ with police, Inspector Dalton said.
‘We have no suspects,’ he said.
‘There’s nothing to say that this fire is suspicious in any way, but we will treat it as though it is, until we find it, make a determination one way or another.’
Police are urging anyone with information, mobile or CCTV footage to come forward.
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