Sanjay Nand is grateful that his family safely escaped a fire that engulfed their rented home on Tiri Road in Nadawa, Nasinu, yesterday. Nand reported that the fire originated in the middle room, but his wife, mother-in-law, and niece managed to get out with only minor burns. His wife was the sole family member who required hospital treatment.
Nand was at work when he received the alarming news about the fire. Upon his return, he found the house still aflame while his family waited outside. He noted that as a tenant paying $1,000 monthly for the three-bedroom residence, he is currently unaware of the fire’s estimated damages.
He expressed gratitude towards the firefighters who arrived promptly and controlled the flames, preventing them from spreading to nearby homes. According to Nand, his wife found the mattress on fire when she entered the bedroom, but the cause of the blaze remains unclear. The flames spread from the bedroom to the roof.
Nand shared that his family regularly engages in daily prayers at home, using a diya, or lamp. However, he noted that if the diya had fallen, it would have landed safely on its tray, leading to uncertainty about its role in the fire.
The National Fire Authority (NFA) confirmed they received a call regarding the incident and that a team from Valelevu responded and contained the fire. The cause remains undetermined, with investigations ongoing. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that two women and a child escaped safely, adding that they are awaiting the fire report from the NFA to establish the cause.