A house in Vunivau, Labasa was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second such incident in a month. The property owner, Mohammed Irshad, was in Suva for work at the time of the fire. His wife and two children were at home but fortunately managed to escape without any injuries.
Irshad expressed his shock upon receiving a distressing call from his wife, describing the event as occurring between 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM. He stated, “I’ll be returning home soon to make arrangements for temporary accommodation until we can secure funds to rebuild.” The 31-year-old lorry driver had lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years and was uncertain about the total damages, noting that it had taken years to gather their household items.
The National Fire Authority reported that they dispatched two fire trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station after an emergency call was received. Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, the Divisional Police Commander North, confirmed that an investigation has been initiated, although the cause of the fire is still unknown.