[Photo: Family home in Ba destroyed in fire]
Two families are facing the loss of their homes after separate structural fires in Ba and Nadi, prompting renewed concerns from the National Fire Authority over fire safety.
The latest incident occurred at Randa, along Nawaicoba Road in Nadi, where a seven-bedroom concrete house was destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon.
The house, which had a corrugated iron roof, was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at 2.51 pm.
The Nadi Fire Station received the emergency call at 2.04pm and dispatched one fire appliance with three officers. The crew took 47 minutes to reach the property, which is about 30 kilometres from the station.
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Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze at 3.08 pm. The estimated structural loss is $20,000.
The property was vacant at the time, and no injuries were reported in the information provided by the National Fire Authority.
A fire investigation will be conducted to determine the suspected cause.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says the loss of two homes in one day is concerning, as fires can leave families and communities without their property, belongings and sense of security.
He says the Nadi house being vacant was fortunate, but the loss remains significant.
The NFA is urging households to check electrical installations, switch off cooking appliances when not in use, install working smoke alarms and keep escape routes clear.
Members of the public are also reminded to call 910 immediately when a fire breaks out.
The cause of the Nadi fire has yet to be established.