A family of seven has been left homeless after a fire destroyed their home at Navolau 2 Village in Rakiraki last Friday.
The National Fire Authority is investigating the cause of the fire, which destroyed a two-bedroom timber and corrugated iron house.
The Rakiraki Fire Station received a report of the fire at 11.24am through the station's mobile phone and immediately dispatched two fire appliances with five on-duty officers and two off-duty officers to the scene.
NFA says firefighters arrived six minutes later and found the house fully engulfed in flames.
Crews quickly established hose lines from their water supply and managed to contain and extinguish the fire before it could spread to nearby properties.
The property belongs to a 42-year-old man who lived there with his wife and children.
Information gathered at the scene revealed that the house was vacant when the fire started.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says there has been an increasing number of fires involving vacant and unattended homes, which is a growing concern.
He says fires in vacant houses often go undetected for longer periods, allowing them to spread rapidly before emergency services are alerted.
Sowane is urging homeowners to switch off electrical appliances when leaving their homes, repair faulty wiring promptly, and unplug unnecessary electrical devices to reduce the risk of fire.
He is also encouraging members of the public to remain vigilant and report any signs of fire immediately by calling 910.
The NFA will now carry out a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
