Two separate fires yesterday in the North burnt the top floor of a home in Namara, Labasa, and part of a sugarcane field in Vunimoli.

In Namara, residents praised the swift action by the National Fire Authority in preventing the fire from spreading to other homes.

The home belongs to a kava vendor, Vineshwar Kumar.

The bottom level of the house was storage while Mr. Kumar lived with his wife upstairs.

Neighbour, Fulori Cabeiwasa, said the fire started at around 2 am.

“The lady next door came out shouting. We all came outside thinking it was a thief, then we saw the fire,” Ms. Cabeiwasa said.

“The authority did good work because houses are very close by.”

Mr. Kumar’s elder brother, Shalnedra Kumar, also lives next door.

“My sister-in-law was alone at home when the fire started. My brother was in Lautoka. He came back this morning and was very distraught,” Mr. Kumar said.

“We had to tell him to eat and rest.”

In Vunimoli, the authority was alerted around midday after a bushfire went out of control and partly damaged a sugarcane field and caught fire onto (deserted) vehicles.

The land is understood to be owned by Viti Vanua Corporation.

Neighbour, Ahmed Din said, he had just slaughtered a cattle at his home to mark his religious celebration when he witnessed the incident.

“We got lucky that the fire authority arrived as we tried dousing the fire with hoses,” he said.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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