Russell Island fire: Brisbane mum loses entire family as blaze kills husband Wayne Godinet and five children

UPDATED: Police are now reportedly treating a house fire in which a father and his five young children died as suspicious.

The desperate search for the five young boys and their father has come to a tragic end after police confirmed six bodies had been found inside the destroyed Brisbane home.

Wayne Godinet, 34, died in the house alongside his five sons - aged 11, 10, four-year-old twins and a three-year-old, after rushing back in the burning home to try and save them.

The blaze broke out at a Todman Street house on Russell Island, off the coast of Brisbane, just after 6am on Sunday and spread to other premises, razing three.

Police were initially not treating the fire as suspicious. However, reports on Monday morning suggest this has now changed.

Police are expected to provide new information about their investigation into the fire later on Monday.

“Once the fire was extinguished this afternoon by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, an initial examination of the scene located the bodies of six people, believed to be a man and five children,” police said in a statement issued on Sunday.

“A post-mortem and scientific examination will take place to confirm the identities of the deceased.”

Samantha Stephenson, 28, who is the mother of the boys and Mr Godinet’s wife, managed to escape the blaze uninjured and remains in hospital after being treated by emergency crews.

“This poor lady has lost her entire family,” Superintendent Mat Kelly told reporters on Sunday.

“She’s terribly emotionally distressed at the moment, but doesn’t have any actual injuries.”

Russell Island local Angela Dawson told reporters the couple managed to escape the home but Mr Godinet ran in to try and save their children.

“I know he was a hero and would have done everything to get those kids out,” she told the Courier-Mail.

Another woman, aged 21, who was also inside the home had tried to run in but was stopped by Mr Godinet.

The dad-of-five offered to run inside instead, leaving his wife and the woman outside to call for help.

“He told her not go to back inside...So she warned the neighbours by screaming. They are calling her their hero now, she saved them,” Ms Dawson said.

Supt Kelly said many in the close-knit community would be affected by the fire, including emergency services on scene who knew the victims well.

“(It) is truly tragic as these young boys could have become men into the future,” Mr Kelly said.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner John Cawcutt described the scene as distressing for first responders who themselves lived on the island.

“It’s obviously one of the worst fires we’ve had for a long time,” Mr Cawcutt said.

“When you get a tragedy like this, it touches many people.”

Russell Island has a rural fire station, but firefighters from the mainland travelled to the island on a barge to help local crews extinguish the blaze.

Mr Cawcutt said the main house was “completely demolished” by the fire, and its roof caved in, making search efforts for those missing difficult.

Emergency crews are expected to remain on scene for a number of days.

The Queensland Ambulance Service treated nine people, including neighbours, and two were taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Russell Island is eight kilometres long and nearly three kilometres wide and lies between the Queensland mainland and North Stradbroke Island.

It has a population of about 3,700.

Locals told AAP the affected homes were not too far from the centre of town.

Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli praised the efforts of the first responders.

“The early reports are heartbreaking and this tight-knit community will need our support in the days ahead,” he posted on social media.