Firefighters from the Levuka Fire Station acted quickly to avert a significant disaster at the old Pacific Fishing Company building in Levuka on September 4. The National Fire Authority received an emergency call at 4:15 PM, and the firefighting team arrived in just four minutes to find the 30×20 wooden structure fully engulfed in flames.
Utilizing a dividing breeching device and a nearby hydrant, the firefighters successfully extinguished the fire by 5:41 PM. Unfortunately, the building, which once served as a kindergarten, suffered complete structural damage, and there is currently no estimate on the cost of the damage.
In a separate incident earlier that week, on September 3, the Seaqaqa Fire Station responded to a fire at Nakoro Settlement, where they found a vacant single-bedroom house completely destroyed. This house, which was heavily damaged, had solar power and housed six occupants.
The causes of both fires are still under investigation. Puamau Sowane, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fire Authority, commended the Levuka team for their prompt response and cautioned about the increasing risk of structural fires due to the hot and dry weather conditions, urging the public to prioritize fire safety.