Investigations are set to start into 3 residential fires today, one of them within the Suva Central Business District.

Lautoka Fire Station received a call at 11.59am from National Fire Authority (NFA) Command Centre reporting a structural fire incident at Nasoki Street, Namoli Subdivision. 

The duty crew responded immediately with 2 appliances with 8 officers. The Divisional Fire Officer Western, Station Officer Lautoka and senior officers with the Structural Fire Safety and Commercial Training departments also attended the incident. 

Upon arrival at the scene at 12.03pm, the crew noticed a concrete and wooden house, consisting of three flats, fully engulfed in flames. 

They immediately established 1 delivery of 2 lengths from tank supply to stop the fire from further spreading towards adjacent houses just metres away and managed to control the fire. 

Officers managed to extinguish the fire with support from a fire hydrant at Vitogo Parade and officers were still at the scene at 4pm extinguishing hotspots.

The property belongs to a 70-year-old woman and two of the three flats were occupied by tenants.

The house sustained 100% structural damage, while the cost of damage is yet to be determined.

In the second incident, at 5.14am today, the National Fire Authority (NFA) Command Centre received a call on the 910 toll-free emergency line from a member of the public reporting a property fire at Ucunivanua, Verata, Tailevu, and notified the crew at Korovou Fire Station.

The duty crew responded immediately with 1 truck and 6 officers and arrived at the scene at 5.50am to find a well involved fire at a three-bedroom wooden house. 

The crew immediately established 1 delivery of 2 lengths and by 6.57am they had exhausted their tank supply and were then able to draft water with the use of a portable pump from a nearby water source. They also used the bucket brigade system to finally extinguish the fire.

The wooden house, which sustained 100% damage, belongs to an NFA employee but was occupied by 2 people who were in the Western Division at the time of the fire. 

Meanwhile, at 3.12am today, Suva Fire Station received a call from a member of the public reporting a property fire at Waimanu Road next to the old RB Patel carpark.

The duty crew responded immediately with 2 trucks and 15 officers and arrived at the scene at 3.21am to find a well involved fire. 

They utilized 2 deliveries of 2 lengths each from their tank supply and managed to extinguish the fire and put out hotspots and by 4.34am the crew returned to the station. 

The property housed 3 office spaces and 3 rooms and sustained more than 90% damage.

NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane urged home and property owners to ensure they adhered to fire safety awareness and prevention and added that it was fortunate that no one was injured or lost their lives in the three fires.

“Our analysis shows that in the first 9 days of September last year (2023), there were 8 property fires in which structures sustained more than 90% damage, with losses estimated at close to $500,000. There was also 1 fatality,” he said.

“The causes of the eight fires in September 2023 were 2 from unattended cooking, 2 from children playing with matches, 1 was arson/suspicious, 1 uncontrolled burning incident, 1 undetermined and 1 incendiary.

“For the same period this year (2024), there have been 6 fires already, including the three fires today. The estimated cost of damage and cause of fires is yet to be determined.

“We’ve noticed and received several complaints from members of the public about uncontrolled burning by their neighbours or those living nearby.

“It is unlawful to burn rubbish at your compound without proper approval. You can be fined up to $10,000 under the Environment Act.

“We urge members of the public to secure their properties before leaving the house, even for short periods. As we have alluded to earlier this week that there is a notable increase in structural fires across Fiji and it is of great concern because people's lives are endangered by unwanted fires.

“The hot and dry season currently being experienced increases volatility of fuel loads and reduces ignition point temperature, meaning that fires can start at very low temperature due to volatility of surrounding fuel loads.

“We call for vigilance when it comes to fire safety.”

-ENDS-