A second house in Vunivau, Labasa, was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second incident in a month. The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was in Suva for work when the fire erupted. Fortunately, his wife and two children were at home but managed to escape without injuries.
The 31-year-old father expressed his disbelief after being notified of the situation by his wife. “It happened between 7 am and 7:30 am,” Mr. Irshad stated. He plans to return home soon to arrange for temporary accommodation until they can gather enough funds to reconstruct their residence.
Irshad, who has worked as a lorry driver, lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years. While he is currently unsure of the total damages, he mentioned that accumulating household items had taken him several years.
The National Fire Authority confirmed that two fire trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station were dispatched to address the emergency call. Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, the Divisional Police Commander for the North, announced that an investigation is underway, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.