Update: 7:50PM THE National Fire Authority has urged people to refrain from starting fires as fire is the most dangerous disaster that's hard to stop once it starts.
NFA
chief executive officer John O'Connor said people should never start
fires with the intention to harm themselves because they were
compromising the safety and well-being of their family members,
properties and other members of the community.
Mr O'Connor sounded the advice after a house fire resulted in the death of a 62-year-old man in Rarawai, Ba, around 9am today.
The
NFA said in a statement that preliminary investigations indicated
the man poured kerosene on himself and the property before chasing
his wife outside.
It said
preliminary investigations suggest that the man then locked the house
from inside and set himself and the property alight.
Six
other houses were at risk of being burnt down but prompt action by
firefighters stopped the fire from spreading in the housing settlement.