National Fire Authority investigators will start work soon to look into the circumstances surrounding the fire that destroyed 3 houses at Cunningham Stage 1, yesterday morning.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says the NFA Command Centre was alerted at 07.36am about the fire by a member of the public on the 910 emergency toll-free line.
Sowane says the duty crew at the Suva Fire Station immediately responded with 2 trucks and 8 officers, followed by a ladder rescue truck and ambulance.
He says on arrival at the scene at 7.45am, the crew saw a house in the informal settlement on fire and immediately established 1 delivery of 1 length from their tank supply.
The NFA CEO says by 9.42am, with officials from Energy Fiji Limited (EFL), Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) and the Fiji Police Force in attendance, the NFA Command Centre was informed that 3 timber and corrugated iron houses were on fire and the fire crews had finally managed to extinguish the fire.
He says the first house was completely destroyed with the cost of damage set at $60,000, the second house sustained 80 to 90 percent structural damage with the cost of damage set at $60,000.
Sowane says the two houses were vacant at the time of the fire.
He says the third house sustained 100 percent structural damage with the cost of damage estimated at $120,000.
The NFA CEO says four adults and a year-old infant were in the house when the fire occurred and they all managed to escape unhurt.
He says it is disheartening when people continued to lose their homes to fires, even when the Authority was stepping up its fire safety awareness and prevention campaigns around the country.
Sowane says this fire comes at a time when our children are preparing to go back to school next week and in a densely-populated area such as an informal settlement where houses are built very close to each other.
He says the spacing between homes in informal settlements are without any standards, which is why fire spreads easily and very quickly to adjacent homes.
The CEO says fortunately, no lives were lost during the incident.
He is advising homeowners and occupants to practice fire safety precautions in and around their homes.
Sowane says this includes doing simple things such as storing flammable items and liquids in a safe space, placing lit mosquito coils on non-flammable surfaces and putting out lit candles before going to bed, as such actions can prevent unwanted fires.
He is also urging the public to call 910 in case of a fire or emergency, so firefighters have a fighting chance to save lives and properties.
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