Josefa Sigavolavola 
The National Fire Authority has raised alarm over public negligence after two major fires destroyed three homes and a commercial building in Suva on Monday.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane said people continue to ignore fire safety advice despite repeated awareness campaigns.
He stressed that delays in calling firefighters allow blazes to spread quickly. He said every minute a fire burns, it doubles in size, which is why the NFA must be alerted immediately.
The first fire broke out at Auto World Trading in Viria East, Vatuwaqa, shortly after 6am. The NFA received the call at 6.38am.
The warehouse suffered 85 percent structural damage. Although insured, Sowane said the losses were significant.
The second fire started at 9.07am in Caubati, where three houses were affected.
Two homes, valued at $250,000 each, were destroyed.
One belonged to a serving soldier and the other to a retired military officer. Initial findings suggest a child playing with matches may have caused the blaze.
Sowane is urging parents to watch children closely and calling on business owners to install alarm signalling equipment for faster alerts.
He is also reminding Fijians that fire safety must be taken seriously as lives and livelihoods are at risk.
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