Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
[Photo: FILE]
A fire has destroyed a vacant farmhouse at Bilolo in Ba, with the National Fire Authority investigating the cause.
The farmhouse was already engulfed when firefighters arrived on Monday night.
The Ba Fire Station received a report from the Fiji Police Force at 8.22pm and dispatched two fire appliances with six firefighters.
Fire crews were unable to reach the property because of poor road conditions. They instead checked the surrounding area to ensure the fire was not spreading to nearby properties.
The farmhouse, built from timber and corrugated iron, was unoccupied. Its owner lives near Ba Town.
A nearby resident told authorities a bush fire had been seen earlier that evening and is believed to have spread to the farmhouse. However, investigators have yet to confirm the cause.
NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane says fires involving vacant buildings continue to be a concern.
He says unattended properties are exposed to risks such as bush fires, electrical faults and deliberate fires. He says by the time a fire is discovered, it is often too late to save the building.
Sowane is calling on owners of vacant properties to keep grass and vegetation under control, secure their buildings and regularly inspect them to reduce the risk of fire.
The Fiji Police Force has requested a formal investigation, with NFA investigators expected to determine where and how the fire started.
