14 lives were lost in fatal fires from 2018-2022

Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew says from 2018 to 2022, 14 lives were lost in fatal fires.

While opening the 2-weeks Australian Federal Police Regional Forensic Fire Training at the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service this morning, Chew says cases relating to arson from 2018 to 2022 include 64 arson cases, 24 cases of attempting to commit arson, 15 cases of setting fire to crops and plants, and 2 cases of attempting to set fire to crops.

Chew says fire causes losses not only for the immediate families but the society and economy, as a whole.

The Acting Commissioner says the National Fire Authority had stated that from January to August last year, the cost of 83 structural fires stood at an estimated $11.6 million.

He further says the Level 1 training aims at delivering proficiency to investigate various elements of arson cases, with the intent of enhancing their investigative approaches.

Meanwhile, 17 personnel are part of this training, with 8 people from the Fiji Police Force Forensics department, 1 from NFA and 8 officers from the region, including Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Samoa.