A second house in Vunivau, Labasa, was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second incident in a month.
The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was at work in Suva when the blaze began. His wife and their two children were inside the house but managed to escape without injury.
Mr. Irshad, 31, expressed his disbelief upon receiving the alarming news from his wife. “It happened between 7am and 7:30am,” he recounted. “I’ll be returning home soon to arrange temporary accommodation until we can secure funds to rebuild.”
Mr. Irshad, a lorry driver, had lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years. While he is uncertain about the total damage, he emphasized that it took years to gather his household belongings.
The National Fire Authority responded to the emergency call, dispatching two trucks and nine firefighters from the Labasa Fire Station. Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, confirmed that an investigation is underway, but the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.