A family in Koroqaqa, located along Baulevu Road outside Nausori Town, is now without a home following a fire that engulfed their residence on Wednesday morning. The National Fire Authority (NFA) reported that the blaze originated in the storage area of the house. The homeowner attempted to extinguish the flames using a garden hose, but the fire quickly spread, forcing the family to flee.
The estimated damage to the four-bedroom home is between $80,000 and $90,000. Fire teams from the Nausori and Nakasi fire stations responded to the incident around 6 am. At the time of the fire, a 31-year-old taxi driver was at home with his wife, two children, and mother.
Investigations are currently underway into the cause of the fire. NFA CEO Puamau Sowane expressed concern over the increasing number of residential fires. He mentioned that the NFA is enhancing its Integrated Community Fire Wardens and Emergency Response Framework, a training program offered free to all communities. This program provides two weeks of intensive training in firefighting skills, emphasizing the prevention of unwanted fires, basic first aid, and emergency response within the community.