Fire investigators from the National Fire Authority (NFA) are investigating three fires which occurred the last three days to find out their probable causes.
On Sunday, Nadi Fire Station received a running call from an off-duty firefighter reporting a structural fire incident at Vagadra Village (outside fire boundary).
The on-duty crew responded immediately with one truck and five officers and arrived at
the scene at 6.26pm to find a two-bedroom corrugated iron and timber house engulfed in
flames.
The fire crew established 1 delivery of 1 length from their tank supply to put out
the hotspots before returning to the station.
The villagers, while waiting for the fire trucks to arrive, managed to control the fire using
the bucket brigade method, a strategy learned from their recent community fire wardens
training conducted by NFA.
The house belonged to a 36-year-old villager and was occupied by 3 adults and 3 children.
The property sustained 85% of the damage with an estimated cost of $50,000.
Also on Sunday, the National Fire Authority (NFA) Command Centre received a call on the 910, the NFA toll-free emergency line, reporting a fire at the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute near Navuso Village, Naitasiri.
Duty crews at Nakasi and Nausori fire stations responded immediately with two trucks and 10 on-duty officers and arrived at the scene at 4.20am to find a large timber and concrete building on fire.
They got to work immediately, utilizing one delivery of two lengths from their tank supply.
The crews were supported by the 20,000-litre tanker from Suva Fire Station.
At 5.33am, the fire was extinguished with one delivery of three lengths with dividing
breeching with pump relay from tank supply.
From initial site inquiries and investigations, officers determined that two classroom blocks, three offices and a laboratory were destroyed. Currently there is no estimate on the cost of damage sustained. No casualties were reported.
In another incident in Nadi, the Fire Station received a running call from amember of the public at 9.50pm about a residential fire at Qeleloa (Inside fire boundary).
The duty crew responded immediately and arrived at the scene at 9.55pm to find one side
of a concrete and partly wooden double-storied residential property engulfed in flames.
The crew established 1 delivery of 2 lengths from tank supply to stop the fire from
spreading to other sections of the house and managed to extinguish the flames.
The property was occupied by 10 adults and six children, and the owner lives overseas.
The building housed 7 flats, was not insured, and was powered by solar energy.
There was 75% damage to the structure with an estimated cost being in the vicinity of
$80,000.
NFA Chief Executive Puamau Sowane praised the villagers at Vagadra for putting
what they learned into practice but warned members of the public to always practice fire
safety and exercise precaution.
“It’s fortunate that there were no injuries or lives lost. However, members of the public
need to ensure that they do what they can within their homes to prevent fires,” he said.
“These homes were the result of years of hard work and lifetime investments that were
wiped out in a moment of raging fire.”
“Our plea is for members of the public to practice simple things such as properly storing flammable materials, ensuring that mosquito coils are placed on non-combustible materials or surfaces and teaching family members what to do in case of a fire.”
“We also urge members of the public to call our 910 toll-free emergency line in the first
instance to ensure we respond in a timely manner and put out fires as quickly as possible.”
