PEOPLE living in Lovu Seaside, on the outskirts of Lautoka, are praising the National Fire Authority for its quick response to an early morning fire.
A vacant property had caught fire and flames had begun to lick at the roof of a neighbouring house when the NFA arrived at the scene about 3am yesterday.
“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.
Mr Raj said his wife woke him up about 2.30am after she heard a loud noise coming from the vacant property next door.
“It was very loud and when we went outside we could see smoke and flames coming from inside the house. Landowner and neighbour Taina Sawailau said the 50-year-old home owner was in Labasa and her son lived in Nadi.
“The owner asked me to keep an eye on the house and my job was to turn on the electricity meter in the evenings and turn it off in the morning,” she said.
People living in the area said the vacant house was used by youths as a drinking venue.
When The Fiji Times visited the scene yesterday morning, investigators from the NFA were combing the charred remains of the property, trying to ascertain the cause of the blaze.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro confirmed investigations had begun into the fire which destroyed the three-bedroom home.
