A second house in Vunivau, Labasa was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second such incident in just one month. The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was in Suva for work when the fire occurred, but his wife and two children were at home and managed to escape without injury. The 31-year-old father expressed his shock upon receiving the urgent news from his wife.
“It happened between 7 am and 7:30 am,” Mr. Irshad stated, noting the timeframe of the incident. He plans to return home soon to arrange for temporary housing until they can secure the funds needed to rebuild. Irshad has lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years, and while he is unsure of the total damage costs, he remarked that it took years to accumulate their household belongings.
The National Fire Authority reported that two fire trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station responded to the emergency call. Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, confirmed that an investigation has been initiated, though the cause of the fire remains undetermined.