A family in Wakanisila, Kalabu, are counting their blessing after a fire completely engulfed a neighbouring home yesterday.

Koula Tabaki said it had been in the early hours of Sunday, at around 3.30am, when they noticed their neighbour’s house had caught fire.

Ms Tabaki said when it started the fire began to spread and it got closer to their home, whereby their windows and a facing wall was damaged.

“All we could do was to pull our hose pipe and whatever we had to stop the fire from damaging our home,” she said.

“Firstly, we had take our children to safety while the men in the family kept the fire from spreading.”

She said nothing could be saved from their neighbour’s home because the fire spread quickly by the time the National Fire Authority arrived.

Ms Tabaki said the owners of the house were a couple who were abroad. The house was looked after by a relative.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed the incident and said that the house was completely burned while the occupant of the house was sleeping inside.

Ms Naisoro said the male victim, Meli Baroi, 30, sustained 24 per cent burns to his body.

The victim was admitted at the Burns Unit in CWM Hospital.

Edited by Percy Kean

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