Sainiani Boila 
The National Fire Authority responded swiftly to a fire that broke out early this morning at a vacant building located on Amy Street, opposite the Colonial War Memorial Hospital morgue in Suva.
NFA Chief Executive Puamau Sowane reported that the first alert came in at 4:24 am and within two minutes, multiple fire trucks and crews from Suva and surrounding areas, including Nakasi, were dispatched to the scene.
By 4:30 am, the first fire truck had arrived, followed shortly by senior fire officers and representatives from Energy Fiji Limited and Water Authority, who were promptly informed to assist with power shutdowns and water supply management.
Although unoccupied at the time, the building sustained extensive damage, with 98% of the structure destroyed.
“The suspected cause is yet to be determined so right now, the rough estimate of the cost of damage that our firefighters have ascertained is around $100,000 in accordance with the area, the size of the building.”
Sowane said firefighters utilized all available equipment, including multiple hose lines and tank supplies from fire trucks, to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.
Additional support arrived from fire trucks based in Lami and Valelevu to provide necessary manpower.
He explained that the fire spread rapidly due to the building’s old wooden construction and the strong winds in the morning.
The Divisional Fire Officer for Central East, who was present at the scene, confirmed that the wind significantly accelerated the fire’s spread, complicating containment efforts.
Despite the quick response, the building was already heavily engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
Investigations and damage assessments are ongoing.
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