National Fire Authority (NFA) is raising concerns over the recent increase in the number of grass and bush fires in the Western Division.

NFA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Puamau Sowane is sending a stern warning to the people who are carelessly lighting fires that lead to major grass and bush fires, including cane farmers who are burning their sugar cane fields.

The NFA is concerned, considering the current dry and windy conditions in the Western Division that could easily spread fire and threat nearby properties.

Mr. Sowane says with the current weather conditions in the Western Division people have been warned to take precautionary measures as we continue to receive numerous calls on grass and bush fires every day.

The Lautoka fire station attended to a major bush fire incident at Tuvu, Lautoka yesterday. The fire crew received a call at 12.45 pm informing of the incident and the team responded immediately. Upon arrival at the scene, the fire team saw a large area of bush was on fire threatening the nearby properties. The fire team fought the fire and managed to extinguish an Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) power post that was on fire. A house that had been vacant for long was also destroyed in the incident.

These bush fires have been damaging a lot of EFL power lines which has contributed to continuous power outage around Western Division lately,” said Mr. Sowane.

Yesterday NFA firefighters spent eight hours at Tuvu Lautoka incident to monitor any threats by the fire incident to the nearby properties,” he said.

According to statistics recorded by NFA, since 1^st January 2022 to date, a span of over 9 months and 3 days, the Western Division has recorded 408 bush and grass fires of which 211 were recorded in the month of September alone and 33 from 1^st October to-date.

The Division also recorded 100 cane fires and 53 rubbish fires from January to date.

Majority of these fires have been a result of careless burning, and heat and windy conditions which in some instances due to dry grass self-ignites once it reaches its ignition point,” said Mr. Sowane.

While these bushfires pose threat to properties and lives, they also impose considerable pressure on our resources. Should there be any major fire in the central business centres, NFA could be possibly affected in resource distribution,” he added.

In just 3 days, from 1^st October to-date, the estimated cost of NFA attending to these grass and bush fire is $16,000,” said Mr. Sowane.

People’s negligence towards fire safety and a “no-care” attitude is a major challenge right now for NFA,” he said.

CEO Sowane reminds the general public that fire safety is imperative for everyone and it is every individual’s responsibility to ensure that they adhere to fire safety precautions to avoid such incidents.

We do not want to see people lose their properties, farms, and livestock. People should be responsible and act now to avoid unnecessary fire incidents that pose a threat to anyone,” he said. 

NFA urges the public to call on the toll-free fire emergency number 910 if they see any fire so that the firefighters can respond in the quickest time.

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