A woman and her infant child were sleeping oblivious to the fire that had started in their home in Gaji Road, Samabula, yesterday morning.

Viame Dinaono, 27, said screams from her neighbours woke her up.

“We rushed out of the house. The house was full of smoke. I think if I did not wake up, we would be dead,” she said.

Ms Dinaono said she had no idea how the fire started.

Another house next to each other were also destroyed by the fire. Other homes close by were saved by the National Fire Authority (NFA) crew.

The second home belonged to Peni Bale, 76, a retired civil servant. He too was inside his home when the fire started.

“I ran out after I heard people yelling ‘fire, fire’,” he said.

“I have not been able to save anything. I don’t know what to do now. My niece is away at work. She will come back to find everything of hers destroyed.”

Mr Bale’s neighbour and another niece Raijieli Sukalala said she and her children ran out of the house as smoke filled the air.

No one was injured. NFA will investigate.

Feedback: shalveen.chand@fijisun.com.fj