A family of five was thankful yesterday after being spared from a fire that destroyed their Naitonitoni home in Navua .

“Thank God we are alive,” said Navua Magistrate Court staff Talei Colati.

The 38-year-old mother was happy that none of her family members died in the fire that burnt down their  house early yesterday morning.

She said the fire started from her daughters’ room at about12.30am.

They were all sleeping when the incident happened, she said.

“My husband and I were woken by my daughters’ loud voices yelling about the fire,” she said.

They called the Police and unfortunately they along with the fire rescue team arrived in late.

“The house was fully burnt.”

“We lost somethings, all my work stuff, my laptop and important documents are all gone,” she said.

According to the National Fire Authority, a fire emergency call was received at 1.11am at the Navua Fire Station and their firemen immediately responded. Upon arrival at 1.14am, the Fire Team saw the house fully engulfed in flames.

The family managed to save their refrigerator, and a table.

Ms Colati said that now they would have to search for a new place to live. The family at the moment is staying with their neighbour.

“I don’t think my daughters will resume school next week. We need to settle down first before they can go to school,” Ms Colati said.

Ms Colati is working at the Navua Magistrate Court and her husband is working at the Nasinu Town Council.

She has two daughters Elenoa Sipora, 14, and Sofaia Liku, 11 and they are also staying with her niece Livia Davetawalu, 16.  The girls are schooling at Vashist Muni High School in Navua.

Meanwhile, NFA also responded to a second fire  in Navua, yesterday.

“Everything can be replaced but life,” said Kemueli Uluikavoro.

The 70-years-old was thankful to be alive.

His house in Navua was burnt down yesterday at about 10.30am.

“I was in the kitchen when the fire started,”he said.

They have a separate kitchen behind their house.

Mr Uluikavoro said that he wanted to light the firewood and then asked his six-years-old granddaughter to bring him the matches which from inside the house.

They were alone in the house.

“After I lit the fire I told her to place the match back to where she brought it from. But instead she went to my room and played with it,” he said.

His granddaughter Vitorina Cavulala was still traumatised when the Fiji Sun arrived at their house.

He said he was not aware of what the little girl was doing in the house.

“After few minutes, I saw smoke coming from the house, I ran inside to check, only to see that it was from my room. The fire started from the matress and the room was filled with smoke, I couldn’t stop it.”

Mr Uluikavoro said that all he cared about was to make sure his granddaughter was alive.

“I came outside looking for my granddaughter and I found her hiding at our cassava patch beside the house.

“All I could save from my room was a small bag of clothes,” he said.

“Everything is gone.”

He said he was thankful to the Lord that they are alive.

When the our team arrived at the scene, Mr Uluikavoro and some family members were cleaning their old house which was few steps away so that they can sleep their last night. The house was still under renovation.

Mr Uluikavoro is a retired employee of the Sports Council in Navua.

He is now raising livestocks and farming for his source of income.

He stays with his daughter and her husband and his granddaughter Vitorina.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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