Gokals warehouse fire causes $8M damages

The Gokals Group warehouse in Toorak has been destroyed, resulting in an estimated $8 million in damage.

The National Fire Authority says the early Saturday morning blaze took nine hours to extinguish and raised serious concerns about fire safety infrastructure in the capital.

They say the fire reportedly broke out shortly after midnight last Saturday on Amy Street in Toorak, completely gutting the insured concrete structure and leaving behind nothing but ashes and rubble.

The Authority says a total of 36 firefighters, including 7 senior officers, 5 fire trucks, and support vehicles, battled the blaze under extremely difficult conditions.

They say a female firefighter was injured during the operation and taken to Colonial War Memorial Hospital - she was treated and discharged the same day, and is already back on duty.

NFA says when the crew arrived at 12.46am, they were met with thick smoke pouring out of a locked warehouse, and gaining access was the first major challenge as the building’s roller shutters were shut tight.

They say firefighters created an opening using bolt cutters and crowbars, and a forklift found inside the warehouse — with the key in the ignition — was used to raise the shutter, finally allowing teams inside to fight the fire head-on.

NFA says the team laid out feeder lines from a nearby hydrant, but another issue quickly emerged, which was low water pressure. NFA CEO Puamau Sowane says water is their main tool, and while they can have the best equipment and the most skilled firefighters, without proper water pressure, their hands are tied.

Sowane says this isn’t a new problem – weak water pressure is one the NFA has battled for years.

He is calling for urgent upgrades to the city’s water mains, saying every fire hydrant should deliver 1,000 litres per minute — and currently, many fall far short.

NFA says as flames spread, smoke reached the Fiji Elections Office next door and two senior officers and a firefighter broke into the top floor of the building to stop the fire from engulfing their IT department.

They say the FEO headquarters is now closed indefinitely for safety assessments.

Meanwhile, BINACO Textile, located adjacent to Gokal’s warehouse, was also at risk — but was successfully saved.

The NFA says another key issue was the lack of early fire warning systems.

Sowane says neither the Gokal Group nor Narhari Group, located just across the street, had installed NFA’s Alarm Signaling Equipment, which alerts firefighters of smoke or heat in real time.

He adds that the FEO had an ASE system, but it hadn’t been maintained.

He says such investments could significantly reduce fire damage by giving firefighters a head start.