Fire investigators from the National Fire Authority (NFA) are examining the probable causes of two residential fires this week.

 

At 12.47pm on Monday (24^th June, 2024) Nadi Fire Station received a call from the NFA Command Centre reporting a structural fire incident at Korovuto (inside fire boundary).

 

The on-duty crew immediately responded with two trucks and 6 officers, arriving at the scene of the fire at 1.07pm to find a four-bedroom wooden and corrugated iron house fully engulfed in flames.

 

They established 1 delivery of 2 lengths from tank supply to extinguish the fire and received support from the Station Officer, structural fire safety staff and an off-duty officer.

 

By 3.10pm the fire had been fully extinguished.

 

Initial site investigations revealed that the house belonged to a 50-year-old carpenter and was occupied by the owner, his 50-year-old wife, a 26-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

 

The house was vacant at the time of incident and a neighbour who saw smoke coming out from the kitchen broke the front door to enter and try to put the fire out but was unsuccessful.

 

The house is not insured and sustained 100% damage. The cost of damage to the house and its contents was estimated at $220,000. No injuries or fatalities were recorded. 

 

National Fire Authority firefighters battling the blaze at Ciriwai East, Nadi.

In the second incident, Nadi Fire Station received a call at 7.39pm the same day reporting a residential fire at Ciriwai East.

 

The on-duty crew responded immediately and arrived at 6.26pm to find a two-bedroom corrugated iron, timber and cement house engulfed in flames. By 6.39pm the crew managed to extinguish the flames using 1 delivery of 1 length from tank supply.

 

The house sustained 95% damage.

 

Meanwhile, on Tuesday (25^th June, 2024), Pacific Harbour Fire Station received a call at 6.59am alerting the duty crew to a Road Accident Rescue (RAR) call near the Fiji Roads Authority depot at Taunovo, approximately 16 kilometres west of Navua Town.

 

The crew arrived at the scene to find two vehicles involved in a collision – a three-tonne truck and an eight-tonne truck, with a man and a woman trapped inside the eight-tonne vehicle.

 

Using RAR tools and equipment, the crew members managed to extricate the two and transport them to Navua Hospital for treatment. The crew then cleared the road of debris from the accident and hosed the area of hazardous substances.

 

Firefighters from the National Fire Authority’s Pacific Harbour Fire Station during the Road Accident Rescue (RAR) call.

NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane urged homeowners to ensure they adhered to fire safety compliance measures, such as ensuring they used proper materials in terms of electrical wiring.

 

“Given that electrical faults remain the highest cause of structural fires in Fiji, it is important to have a licensed electrician to check the whole electrical wiring system in your homes if it was wired more than 20 years ago,” he said.

 

“Over the years, the electrical wires insulation capability could possibly have lowered due to ageing factors. Electrical wire insulation deteriorates over time. Most electrical wire insulation design life expectancy are between 20 to 30 years. 

 

“Losing a home means losing a life-long investment and it’s a sad occurrence for anyone.

 

“Even if their homes are vacant homeowners must ensure a neighbour or the nearest Police post or station is notified in case of emergency.

 

“NFA is also urging motorists to exercise extra care on our roads to avoid loss of life.

 

“We also urge members of the public to call our toll-free 910 line in case of fire or any other emergency to allow our people to respond in a timely manner.”