Turners Marsh family still haunted by death of young sisters Ruby and Shanzel Brewer in house fire

Clifford Brewer lost his daughters, Ruby and Shanzel, when a granny flat they were sleeping in became engulfed in flames at their Turners Marsh property, located in Northern Tasmania, on June 11 last year.

Sadly, the 13 and 10-year-old girls did not make it out alive.

Since that day, Mr Brewer’s world has turned upside down.

His four-year-old daughter, Kasey, started suffering ongoing nightmares and seizures after the fatal fire.

“She was having nightmares calling out for Ruby and Shanzel,” Mr Brewer said.

The family’s heartache continued when Mr Brewer’s mother and Ruby and Shanzel’s grandmother died three months ago.

Now, on the anniversary of the girls’ death, Mr Brewer is back in hospital with Kasey and unable to plan a memorial for his daughters.

Instead, Lilydale District School where the girls attended is expected to pay tribute to them this week.

Mr Brewer said the school, the girls’ friends and their families had supported the Brewer family throughout the past year.

“Most of their friends were affected from the loss of the girls and their families as well,” he said. 

“The school got plaques made with the girls names on them.

“People come visit every now and then.”

A number of fundraisers were also organised by family members, the Lilydale community, the Lilydale Lions Club and the local IGA.

“If it was not for all the people that helped we would still be paying for the funeral bill,” Mr Brewer said.

Ruby and Shanzel’s devastated mother, Kelly Barnes, shared a tribute to her “angel babies” on Monday.

“Those special memories of you both will always make me smile,” she wrote. 

“If only I could have you both back in my arms for just a little while, then we can sit up, talk, play music and be stupid just like we used to do.

“[Until] we meet again mummy’s angel babies … miss you both forever.”

The initial fire scene examination found an electrical fault may have caused the blaze, but Mr Brewer said there had been no further update on the investigation.