About 20 people are homeless after 5 residential fires in the past week while investigations on the cause of the fires are being finalised.
The National Fire Authority say at 2.13am on Sunday the Sigatoka Fire Station received an alert from the Police Command Centre on a structural fire incident at the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s compound at Naidovi, just over 11 kilometres from Sigatoka Town.
The on-duty crew responded immediately with one truck and four officers and arrived at the scene at 2.24am to find a two-bedroom corrugated iron and timber house fully engulfed in flames.
The NFA say the house belongs to local tour company Eco Trax and was vacant at the time of the fire as the couple occupying it were away at a family function.
The property sustained 95 percent of the damage and the estimated value is $25,000.
The NFA says on Tuesday a call was received at 10.32am that a house was on fire along Gaji Road and firefighters reached the scene at 10.42am.
This has left 6 adults and 2 children homeless.
On the same day 4 people living in Burenitu Village in Ra were left homeless after their property sustained 95 percent damages which is valued at $25,000.
They say on Wednesday a house in Burelevu Village in Ra and another house in Uciwai Sangam School in Nadi had been totally destroyed, valued at $80,000.
This has left 11 people homeless.
Meanwhile, CEO Puamau Sowane has reiterated a warning to homeowners and tenants to secure their properties and ensure everything is in order when leaving their homes for work or to attend functions.
Sowane says that electrical remain the highest causes of structural fires in Fiji, it is important to have a licensed electrician to check the whole electrical wiring in your homes, if it was wired more than 20 years ago.
He urges people to call on 910 toll-free line in case of fire or any other emergency to allow our people to respond in a timely manner.
