Heartbroken family breaks silence to pay tribute to Brisbane schoolgirl killed in horror townhouse fire with her babysitter also feared dead

An eAn eight-year-old girl has died in a horrific house fire in Brisbane’s south-east. Her babysitter was also feared dead.

Huge flames engulfed the family home in Bayside Court, Thorneside within minutes on Sunday morning, with the fire so intense it was visible from several miles away.

Firefighters were alerted around 7.15am and arrived on the scene within minutes, but were unable to save Raven Contini, whose body was found in the fire-ravaged house.

Her mother Chloe Louise Davidson and stepfather Matthew Glen Rodgers-Falk were in Ballina in northern NSW at the time and made the 190km drive home as soon as they heard the news. 9News reported.

As of Sunday evening, the family’s babysitter, Stephanie Ryan, was missing.

Authorities “strongly believe” the woman’s body is in the gutted house.

Raven’s distraught family broke their silence on Sunday evening to pay a heartbreaking tribute to the little girl.

“I loved to cook, loved to shop, loved to socialize, a very special, much-loved eight-year-old girl,” Christine Mary and Robert Arthur Rodgers-Falk said in a statement.

‘Nnicknamed her turtle.

‘She was very beautiful.

“He lifted us up when we saw her.”

Neighbors rushed to the scene and jumped fences as they ran toward the burning house.

They used hoses and buckets of water to fight the fire.

Neighbor Zac Benjamin ran to the back gate, but was unable to enter the house due to the heat of the fire.

“I have my own kids and I just got into gear,” he said.

Ambulance crews also treated a man at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Raven is pictured with her mother Chloe Louise Davidson and stepfather Matthew Glen Rodgers-Falk

It took more than twenty firefighters almost an hour to get the fire under control.

“Attempts were made to enter the property and extinguish the fire,” Queensland Police Chief Inspector Karl Hahne said.

“There was some support from neighbors and people in the area to get it under control.

“Anyone who helps someone in a time of need, we tip our hats to them.”

The intensity of the fire still left the house too hot for safe entry, with smoke still smoldering from the mansion.

Neighbors rushed to the scene, jumped the fence and ran to the burning house (photo)

“It is still active and the Queensland Fire Service is working to make it safe,” Inspector Hahne said.

It could take days before the cause of the fire can be determined.

The roof of the gutted mansion collapsed during the fire, while two adjacent properties were also damaged.