CAPTION: NFA Chief Executive Officer, John O’Connor. Photo: RITESH KUMAR.
National Fire Authority (NFA) responded to three residential fire incidents today.
In the early hours of this morning at Carreras Road in Votualevu, Nadi, a three bedroom house was destroyed by fire and in Nakasi, Nausori, a two bedroom house was destroyed by fire.
NFA Nadi received the fire emergency call at 0126hrs and the team responded immediately. Upon arrival at 0135hrs, the fire crew saw the house fully engulfed with flames.
The fire team got to work and quickly extinguished the fire, but due to the intensity of the fire, the house with all the household contents was destroyed. Six people were living in the house.
At the time of the fire incident, the family was sleeping in the house. It was when one of the family member who woke up to get a glass of water saw the ceiling fan on fire and then alerted the rest of the family members. The family was able to escape safely out of their burning house. NFA’s investigations are underway to determine the cause of this house fire.
At Bilo Street in Nakasi, a two bedroom corrugated iron and timber structured house was destroyed by fire.
NFA Nausori received the fire emergency call at 1126hrs and immediately responded. Upon arrival at 1130hrs, the fire team saw the house collapsed and fully engulfed with flames to the ground. The firefighters extinguished the fire and stopped it from spreading to the nearby homes.
At the time of the incident, the home owner and his three year old son was in the house and they were able to escape out of their burning house. The owner of the house sustained minor burns.
At Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua, Suva, NFA Suva received the fire emergency call at 1227hrs and immediately responded. Upon arrival at 1233hrs, the fire team saw the double storey residential barrack on fire.
The fire team fought the fire to try and contain the fire within the flat in the barrack, but due to the wooden floor and wooden ceiling, the fire spread to the other flats within the same barrack. NFA was able to control the fire and minimized the damaged to a few of the flats.
NFA investigations are underway to determine the cause of these fire incidents.
Chief Executive Officer, John O’Connor is again reminding members of the community to take extra care.
“The recent increase in the house fire incidents in 2013 is a great concern to the NFA which reminds the importance of fire safety at home.
“So far this year into the month of February, NFA has attended to 17 property and small house fires and we are really concern of the recent increase in the house fire incident.
“We keep reminding people to take extra care, but still fires continue to happen in our communities.
“It is important for the home owners to take heed of these fire occurrence and devastation caused by a house fire and the need for the home owners to take extra care at home and discuss fire safety issues with their families.
“We must discuss fire safety in our families so that our family members are aware of the dangers of a fire and what to do in case of a fire.
“NFA needs the support from the members of the community and we are urging members of the Community to be more vigilant and regularly check their homes on a daily basis and get rid of all things that can start unplanned fires in homes,” Mr O’Connor added.
PRESS RELEASE