16 people were displaced after three home fires in the past four days

At least 16 people have been displaced after three home fires in the past four days.

National Fire Authority Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says despite the NFA’s efforts to conduct awareness in various modes – community, house-to-house and schools as well as the Integrated Community Fire Wardens and Emergency Response Framework, they note that fires are still happening at an alarming rate.

Sowane says public support is needed and cautioned members of the public to maintain fire safety precautions to stop the occurrence of fires in their homes.

He says this includes simple things such as the safe storage of flammable materials within homes, ensuring that stoves are switched or turned off before leaving the kitchen and placing mosquito coils on non-flammable materials or surfaces.

The NFA says the Lautoka Fire Station received a running call reporting a structural fire incident at the Government quarters at Dravuni Street, Lautoka on early Saturday morning and the on-duty crew responded immediately with two trucks and six officers.

On arrival at the scene at 2.02am, the crew noticed a duplex-type Government quarters fully engulfed in flames.

The quarters sustained 75% damage with the estimated cost of damage to the property and its contents valued at $80,000.

The adjoining flat was occupied by another MOIT employee, his wife, mother-in-law and daughter and sustained 4% damage with an estimated cost of $10,000.

They say in the second incident, Sigatoka Fire Station received a running call at 7.45am on Thursday, reporting a structural fire incident at Olosara, opposite the Kidney Hub.

The on-duty crew responded immediately with two trucks and six officers with an ambulance and on arrival at the scene at 7.51am noticed a four-bedroom corrugated iron and timber house well engulfed in flames.

Damage to the property was estimated at 95%, but no estimated cost could be determined.

In the third incident, the NFA Command Centre received a call at 1.45pm on Thursday, reporting a property fire at Avon Place, Raiwaqa.

The on-duty crew at Suva Fire Station responded immediately with a truck and 5 crew members and a 20,000-litre tanker with a 3-men crew and arrived at the scene at 1.57pm to find a 4-bedroom corrugated iron home well involved in flames.

The house was occupied by a man, his wife and his son and sustained 100% damage with the estimated cost of damage set at $20,000.

Investigations will be conducted to determine the cause of the 3 fires.