Sanjay Nand is grateful after his family narrowly escaped a fire that engulfed their rented house on Tiri Road in Nadawa, Nasinu, yesterday.
“The fire started in the middle room, but I’m thankful that my wife, mother-in-law, and niece all got out with minor burns,” Mr. Nand shared. “My wife had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.”
Mr. Nand explained that he was at work when he received the alarming news. “When I got there, the house was still on fire, but my family was safely outside,” he recounted. He mentioned that he is currently paying $1,000 in rent for the three-bedroom home and is unsure of the estimated damage caused by the fire.
He expressed his gratitude to the firefighters who were able to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading to nearby properties. “When my wife went into the bedroom, the mattress was already ablaze, but the cause of the fire remains unknown,” he said. “The flames then spread to the roof.”
Mr. Nand noted that his family prays daily at home, using a diya, a lamp symbolically lit during prayers. He expressed uncertainty over whether the diya caused the fire, suggesting that if it had fallen, it would have landed on a tray.
The National Fire Authority (NFA) confirmed that they received reports of the fire and that their team from Valelevu responded promptly to control the situation. The initial cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and investigations are ongoing.
Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that two women and a child successfully evacuated the home. “The cause of the fire has not been established, and we are awaiting the fire report from the NFA,” Ms. Naisoro stated.