A family of five has lost their home after a fire completely destroyed their two-bedroom house in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, a 55-year-old retired employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, watched helplessly as the flames consumed the home where he had lived with his wife and three children for the past 50 years.
“It happened really quickly. I went to the TOTAL Service Station to pick up my son, wife, and daughter. When we returned, our home was engulfed in flames, and we couldn’t save anything,” Mr. Kumar recounted.
The incident occurred around 10:30 PM, while no one was at home. “It was devastating to stand there with only the clothes on our backs; everything else was lost in the fire,” he added. Mr. Kumar, along with his wife and daughter, had gone to Nadi and returned to wait at the service station for their elder son to finish work.
Authorities have confirmed that the fire began in one of the rooms, but they are still investigating the cause, ruling out electrical faults. “This house has been in our family for 50 years. Now, we have nothing left, just a few clothes; everything else was destroyed,” Mr. Kumar said. The family is currently staying temporarily with relatives in Rarawai.
“We require financial assistance to rebuild our home, as well as food and clothing,” he appealed. Efforts to reach the chief executive officer of the National Fire Authority, Puamau Sowane, for comment were unsuccessful. Members of the public who wish to help Mr. Kumar’s family can contact him directly at 9953371.