Firefighters from the Levuka Fire Station acted swiftly to avert 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 the crew arrived on the scene within four minutes to find the 30 by 20-foot wooden structure fully engulfed in flames.
Utilizing a dividing breeching device and a nearby hydrant, the firefighters were able to extinguish the fire by 5:41 PM. Unfortunately, the building, which had previously served as a kindergarten, sustained complete structural damage. Currently, there is no estimated cost for the damages.
In a separate incident earlier that week, on Tuesday, September 3, the Seaqaqa Fire Station team responded to a fire at Nakoro Settlement, where they discovered a vacant single-bedroom house that had been completely consumed by flames. This heavily damaged residence, which featured solar power, was home to six individuals.
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 timely response and emphasized the growing risk of structural fires amid the ongoing hot and dry conditions, urging the community to stay alert about fire safety.