A Nadi market vendor has been left homeless after a house fire completely destroyed his home in Koromakawa in the early hours of the morning, authorities confirmed. The blaze at Marasa Road gutted the corrugated iron double-wall structure belonging to 33-year-old Nafiz Nawaz Khan, with officials saying the property suffered 100 per cent damage.
Mr Khan, his wife and their child were not at home when the fire began. The family had left about 3am to sell produce at the market and were later informed by neighbours that their house was alight. No injuries or fatalities have been reported, according to the initial account from local authorities.
Investigators noted the house was powered by rooftop solar panels and that the property was uninsured. A formal fire investigation is expected to be carried out to establish the cause of the blaze; authorities have not yet released further details about the origin of the fire or whether the solar installation will be a focus of the probe.
The loss adds to a string of recent residential fires in the country that have drawn public attention to household fire safety. In October the National Fire Authority warned that features such as burglar grills can impede escape and increase risk during home blazes after a fatal fire in Meigunyeh, Nadi. More recently, a large house fire in Toorak left a ten-member family homeless, reinforcing concerns about electrical faults and combustible fuel loads in older structures.
Mr Khan’s total loss — a corrugated iron structure reduced to ruin and without insurance cover — highlights the vulnerability many low-income households face when disasters strike. Local officials have not disclosed whether immediate relief or temporary shelter will be provided to the family, and no agency has yet reported involvement in recovery efforts.
The forthcoming investigation will be watched closely for any findings about the role of electrical systems, solar panels, or other ignition sources. As authorities work to determine what sparked the fire, the incident serves as a reminder of calls from emergency services for households to review safety measures, ensure working smoke alarms where possible, and consider insurance where affordable.
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