A second house in Vunivau, Labasa, was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second such incident within a month. The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was away on work in Suva when the blaze occurred, leaving his wife and two children at home. Fortunately, they managed to escape without injury.
The 31-year-old father expressed his shock upon receiving an alarming call from his wife about the incident. “It happened between 7 am and 7:30 am,” Mr. Irshad stated. He plans to return home soon to arrange temporary accommodation for his family until they can gather enough funds to rebuild their home.
Irshad, who works as a lorry driver, had lived in the three-bedroom residence for eight years. While he could not estimate the total damage, he mentioned that accumulating household items had taken many years.
The National Fire Authority reported that two fire trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station were dispatched to the scene after receiving an emergency call. Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, confirmed that an investigation is underway, although the cause of the fire remains undetermined.