The National Fire Authority was praised for its quick response to an early morning fire on Sunday in Lautoka.
Residents of Lovu Seaside, on the outskirts of the city spoke highly of the NFA’s response.
A vacant property was on fire and flames had begun to reach the roof of a neighbouring house when the NFA arrived at the scene about 3am.
“If they did not come, not only our house, but about eight or 10 houses along our street would have been burnt,” said Navnit Raj.
He was woken up by his wife about 2.30am after she heard a loud noise coming from the vacant property next door. Another neighbour, Taina Sawailau, said the 50-year-old homeowner was in Labasa and her son lived in Nadi.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro confirmed investigations had begun into the fire which destroyed the three-bedroom home.
It is fortunate that no lives were lost.
However, this is probably an apt time to talk about fire safety. Most of us only talk about it when fire destroys a home.
We jump up and down when deaths occur. That’s when we talk about fire safety and why we must embrace tips from experts.
It is important that we raise fire safety issues. It must tug at the heart strings for it to be effective.
People must be encouraged to embrace fire safety.
We should rise above complacency and be catalysts for change. We must cast aside bad habits.
We must talk about it. Fire safety must be addressed at various levels of society.
We must pay attention to safety issues and make this a topic of discussion, one we should learn to appreciate and value.
Accidents happen, but they can be prevented.
Attention to detail and doing the little things that aid in fire safety matter. That’s when we should overcome doubts, complacency and learn to appreciate fire safety tips.
We should be doing this for the sake of our loved ones and most importantly, for ourselves.
At a time such as this when many parts of the country are going through periods of low rainfall and a lengthy dry spell, fire safety, now more than ever is critically important.
We should make it our business to be aware of danger spots, from cooking areas, where we keep mosquito coils, to how we use electrical appliances, to name a few.
Let’s stay safe and embrace fire safety tips.
