Buried fire hydrant prompts Nasinu-wide safety review

A fire hydrant buried beneath road level just metres from a house destroyed by fire in Kinoya has prompted the Nasinu Town Council to order an assessment of all fire hydrants within the municipality.

The review follows concerns that firefighters were unable to use the hydrant when they responded to a house fire at Bauvudi Place, Kinoya, on June 29, forcing them to source water from another location.

Nasinu Town Council executive chairman and acting chief executive officer Felix Magnus said residents' concerns were justified and would be acted upon.

"We will see that we carry out an assessment of all fire hydrants within the town and see that all these fire hydrants are up and running," Mr Magnus said.

He said while the monitoring of fire hydrants falls under the National Fire Authority (NFA), the council would assess the condition of hydrants within its boundaries.

"I think the concern by the residents is very valid," he said.

Hydrant inaccessible during fire

The issue came to light after a house caught fire at about 4.30am on June 29, leaving a family of six homeless.

In an earlier interview, neighbour Samuel Fred, 71, described the early morning blaze as frightening.

He said he had been preparing food when he heard a siren and saw people running through the neighbourhood.

Looking outside, he saw flames engulfing a nearby house and feared the fire could spread to the neighbouring Kinoya Assembly of God church.

Unable to access the driveway, he ran through a neighbour's property to reach the scene.

"By the time I arrived, the fire had already surrounded the house," he said.

Although the family escaped safely, they lost their home and belongings.

Church raises long-standing concern

Kinoya Assembly of God church secretary Edwin Singh said the fire highlighted a long-standing issue with the nearby hydrant.

He said the hydrant was located only three to five metres from the destroyed house but could not be accessed by firefighters.

Instead, NFA crews had to pump water from Velau Drive using two fire appliances.

Mr Singh said the issue had been raised with the relevant authorities, including the Fiji Roads Authority, since 2020.

He said road resurfacing and repair works had left the hydrant chamber buried below road level, damaged or blocked.

The hydrant serves a densely populated area, including the church, a kindergarten with about 80 children and nearby homes.

The AOG primary and secondary schools are also in the vicinity.

The church is calling for a permanent solution, including raising the hydrant chamber to the current road level or relocating it above ground.

"Must we wait until lives are lost or multiple buildings are destroyed before decisive action is taken?" Mr Singh said.

Mr Magnus said the council would now inspect hydrants throughout the municipality.

"From the town council perspective, we will take on board the concerns and we will run an assessment of all fire hydrants within the town council perimeter," he said.

The church has provided correspondence dating back to 2020 and photographs showing the hydrant's location in relation to the destroyed house.

The assessment is expected to determine whether other hydrants in the Nasinu area have also been affected by roadworks, damage or accessibility issues.

No comment could be obtained from NFA when this report was published.