Electrical fault probable cause of fire - NFA

Initial investigations into a small property fire at Bountiful Estates, Nadi, early this morning have found that an electrical fault is the probable cause of the fire.

National Fire Authority CEO, Puamau Sowane says firefighters responded to an emergency call at 3.38am today and two fire trucks arrived at the scene six minutes later to find the basement of the building, which was used as a storeroom, fully engulfed in flames.

Sowane says the concrete and corrugated iron roof building, which has seven flats, belonged to a businessman who was using the basement to store stock items for his shop.

He says the items destroyed in the fire included bales of cloth, umbrellas, and cartons of shop stock.

While the firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading through the two-storey building they could not save the stored items.

The CEO says the building was occupied by the owner and his family at the time of the incident, but they were evacuated safely and there were no injuries or fatalities.

He says damage to the basement is estimated to be about 70 percent and while the building was insured, the contents were not.

Sowane is calling on building owners to ensure their properties are fire safety compliant and to carry out constant checks on things such as their property wiring.

He adds they must ensure these checks are carried out by licensed electrical contractors.