Sanjay Nand is relieved after his family narrowly escaped from a fire that engulfed their rented home on Tiri Road in Nadawa, Nasinu, yesterday. He reported that the fire originated in the middle room of the house, but fortunately, his wife, mother-in-law, and niece suffered only minor burns. His wife was the sole family member required to receive treatment at a hospital.
Nand was at work when he received the alarming news about the fire. Upon his arrival, he found the house still ablaze, but his family was safely outside. As a tenant paying $1,000 monthly for the three-bedroom property, he is currently unaware of the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
He expressed gratitude towards the firefighters who responded quickly and managed to extinguish the flames before they spread to neighboring homes. When his wife entered the bedroom, she discovered the mattress was already on fire, yet the cause of the fire remains undetermined. The flames quickly spread to the roof from the bedroom.
Nand mentioned that his family engages in daily prayers at home, using a diya, a symbolic lamp, during their rituals. However, he is uncertain if the diya could have triggered the fire, as he believes that if it had fallen, it would have landed on the tray without causing a blaze.
The National Fire Authority (NFA) confirmed they were alerted to the fire and that a team from Valelevu responded promptly to bring it under control. Investigations are ongoing, and the initial cause of the fire is not yet known. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that two women and a child evacuated safely from the house and noted that the cause of the fire is still being investigated, pending a report from the NFA.