A house fire that killed the wife and three daughters of celebrity chef Matt Golinski is likely to have been started by Christmas tree lights or a power board, Queensland’s Coroner has found.

The blaze had ripped through the home by the time firefighters arrived in the early hours of Boxing Day in 2011.

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Coroner Terry Ryan concluded: “The fire was most likely started from an ignition source located on or immediately below the Christmas tree.

“Possible sources include a four outlet power board, the 240V Christmas lights and other electrical equipment close to the tree.”

His report revealed smoke alarms had failed to raise the family and by the time Mr Golinksi’s wife Rachael awoke, the Tewantin home on the Sunshine Coast was engulfed in flames.

Rachael ran to get her daughters Willow and Sage, aged 12, from their bedroom at the other end of the house, but the fire, which was rapidly consuming the home, trapped them in the room.

All three died.

Golinski tried to enter the room of his other daughter Starlia, aged 10, but the heat was too intense.

He eventually escaped out the back door and onto the driveway.

When firefighters arrived at the house at 4am, Mr Golinksi was at the front of the house and had suffered major burns.

Rachael Golinski and daughters Sage, Willow and Starlia, were trapped inside the house during the fire.

He was being consoled by neighbours, who reported he made repeated attempts to enter the house to locate his wife and three daughters.

Coroner Ryan said police concluded that if the smoke alarms had been functioning effectively the deaths could have been prevented.

“Investigating police ultimately concluded that the deaths were a tragic accident,” he said.

Coroner Ryan, after considering Mr Golinski’s wishes, said he would not hold an inquest into the fire as there was sufficient information to make findings in his report.