Prompt action by firefighters from the Levuka Fire Station averted a significant disaster at the old Pacific Fishing Company building in Levuka on Wednesday, September 4. The National Fire Authority received an emergency call at 4:15 PM, and crews arrived in just four minutes to find the 30×20 wooden structure fully ablaze.
Firefighters utilized a dividing breeching device and a nearby hydrant to bring the fire under control by 5:41 PM. Unfortunately, the building, which had previously operated as a kindergarten, suffered complete structural damage. An estimated cost of the damage has yet to be determined.
In a separate incident earlier that week on Tuesday, September 3, the Seaqaqa Fire Station responded to a fire at Nakoro Settlement, where they discovered a vacant single-bedroom house had been destroyed. The house, which was powered by solar energy, was home to six occupants before being heavily damaged.
The causes of both fires are currently under investigation. Puamau Sowane, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fire Authority, commended the Levuka team for their swift response and stressed the heightened risk of structural fires under current hot and dry conditions, urging the community to prioritize fire safety.