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The National Fire Authority is urging members of the public, homeowners, and occupants to remain vigilant in and around their homes to help prevent fires.

The call from NFA Chief Executive Officer, Puamau Sowane, comes in the wake of a fire at Waiyavi Stage 1, Lautoka, on Tuesday, 29th October 2025.

NFA says that at 11:02 a.m., the Lautoka Fire Station was alerted to a property fire by a member of the public.

The duty team responded immediately with two fire trucks and seven firefighters, arriving at the scene at 11:06 a.m. to find a duplex house fully engulfed in flames.

Initial on-site investigations revealed that the fire started in one of the flats, which was occupied by an adult and two children at the time.

One of the children, a Year 3 student, noticed smoke and flames in one of the upstairs bedrooms and alerted the adult. The adjoining flat was occupied by a couple and two children.

The flat, which had a floor space of 168 square metres, featured partly concrete and wooden walls, corrugated tin roofing, and wooden and corrugated flooring with louvre windows.

Each flat consisted of two bedrooms on the top floor and a bathroom, sitting room, kitchen, and toilet on the ground floor.

The affected flat sustained 80% structural damage, with the cost of damage estimated at $120,000. The adjoining flat, which had 10 occupants, was also partly damaged.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the probable cause of the fire.

Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane is emphasizing vigilance and proper housekeeping practices to avoid unwanted property fires.

He says NFA’s yearly target, under its Annual Costed Operational Plan, is to reduce property fires by 5% per year, as this is considered a realistic objective.

Sowane adds that despite ongoing awareness campaigns, unwanted fires continue to occur.

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