Thorneside house: ‘Devastated’ tributes flow for blaze victims Raven Contini and babysitter Stephanie Ryan

A girl has been remembered for her cheerful smile and her babysitter as a loveable person after they died in a house fire east of Brisbane.

Raven Contini, eight, and her 31-year-old babysitter Stephanie Ryan were found dead in the Thorneside home after a blaze ripped through the townhouse on Sunday morning.

Child protection officers and the homicide squad are investigating what caused the fire with suspicious circumstances not yet ruled out.

Tributes of flowers, cards and toys have been left outside the Thorneside estate, with one message dedicated to Raven saying: “Fly high beautiful girl”.

The girl’s school remembered her as a precious gift to the community.

“Staff and students adored her cheerfulness, friendly smiling face and imagination,” Birkdale South State School 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.”

The girl’s parents were interstate at the time of the blaze and have since been informed of the tragedy.

“They are obviously devastated,” Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said.

Ms Ryan’s family members have also laid flowers at the makeshift memorial outside the residence.

Ms Ryan’s grandmother Thelma Cowell told reporters the 31-year-old was from the Northern Territory and had only been in Queensland on holiday for three days.

“I didn’t know them (Raven’s family) real well, I just know my granddaughter was babysitting,” she said.

Asked to describe Ms Ryan, she said: “A loveable child”.

Raven was found dead after emergency services rushed to the small coastal community on Sunday morning to find the townhouse ablaze.

Ms Ryan was initially declared unaccounted for after police could not get full access to the home as about 30 firefighters worked to extinguish flames so intense they caused part of the roof to collapse.

Ms Ryan’s body was later found inside, with relatives of both victims organising 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 Ryan’s aunt Karen 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.

The man had been “very co-operative” with police, Det Insp 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 contact them.