A Community in Mourning After Second Tragic Fire
A 13-year-old girl has tragically lost her life in a house fire in north Brisbane, a devastating event that marks the second time her family has been victimised by a major blaze in just eight years. Savannah Kerr died early on Sunday morning when a fire erupted at her family's home on D'Arcy Way in Lawnton.
The incident, which occurred around 5.30am, also left four other occupants fighting for their lives. Two teenagers and a man and woman in their 30s were rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition. It is believed the teenagers include Savannah's 17-year-old brother and his girlfriend.
Investigation Points to E-Bike Battery
Preliminary investigations by authorities suggest that the catastrophic blaze may have been triggered by the explosion of an e-bike battery. The fire was so intense that it caused a partial collapse of the home's roof before firefighters could bring it under control.
Enes Seferovic from the Queensland Fire Department described the scene as ferocious. 'When we arrived we saw a number of casualties on the front lawn, with one person confirmed missing inside,' he said. 'Our crews went into action, and obviously we couldn't get them in time.' Neighbouring houses were evacuated as dozens of firefighters worked to prevent the flames from spreading.
A Family's Unimaginable Second Loss
Heartbreakingly, this is not the first time fire has ravaged this family. In December 2017, another fire completely gutted their previous home in the neighbouring suburb of Kallangur. On that occasion, Savannah, her parents Jaimie Jenkins and Adam Kerr, her two older brothers, and their pet dog managed to escape unharmed but lost all their possessions.
Now, the family is not only facing homelessness once more, just before Christmas, but is also grappling with the profound grief of losing a beloved daughter and sister. Tributes have poured in online, with Savannah's aunt, Jessica Wilkes, remembering her as a 'bright, loving, beautiful soul and our hearts will never be the same without her'.
Her grandmother, Julie Jenkins, posted a poignant farewell: 'Goodbye my precious angel. I love you more than words can express.'
In response to the tragedy, family members have launched fundraising campaigns. Jessica Wilkes has set up a GoFundMe to assist with medical, funeral, housing, and support costs. 'My sister and her partner's home was destroyed in a fire that has left our family completely shattered,' she wrote.
A separate GoFundMe has been established for the family of the 17-year-old girlfriend, who remains on life support with third-degree burns covering 30% of her upper body and life-threatening internal burns.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli expressed his sorrow, stating, 'It involves young people, it's a tight-knit part of the city and it's a tight-knit community. It's just so incredibly sad.' The community of Lawnton now mourns a young life lost and rallies around a family enduring a repeat of a nightmare they never thought they would face again.
