A house in Vunivau, Labasa was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second such incident in the area within a month. The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was in Suva for work when the fire broke out. Fortunately, his wife and two children were at home but managed to escape without injuries.
Mr. Irshad, 31, expressed his disbelief upon receiving the alarming news from his wife. He stated that the fire occurred between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., and added, “I’ll be returning home soon to make arrangements for temporary accommodation until we can secure funds to rebuild.”
Irshad, who works as a lorry driver, has lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years. Although he is uncertain about the total damage cost, he mentioned that it had taken years to accumulate their household belongings.
The National Fire Authority reported that two trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station responded to the emergency call. Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, confirmed that an investigation is underway, and the cause of the fire is still unknown.