Fiji fire deaths rise to 10 in first four months of this year

Fire deaths in Fiji have jumped from two to 10 in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

National Fire Authority (NFA) chief executive Puamau Sowane described the figures as deeply alarming and warned the trend could surpass the total of 13 deaths recorded for the whole of 2025.

“The number of deaths is now escalating and it is a big concern,” Mr Sowane said today.

“Just up to April, it has already reached 10. So that number is an indicator for us.”

Mr Sowane said the NFA continues to invest heavily in public fire safety awareness through social media and other platforms, but questioned whether the message is reaching the public.

“We are not sure whether our fire safety message has reached members of the public.

“We continue to invest heavily in awareness, but it is up to members of the public to listen to our advice and adhere to it,” he said.

The number of fires also rose slightly, from 49 between January and April 2025 to 51 in the same period this year.

Mr Sowane said 90 to 95 per cent of fires occur in residential areas, not commercial or industrial buildings, which NFA inspectors regularly monitor for compliance.

He said homes remain the biggest risk because the authority does not have the capacity to routinely inspect private residences.

On complaints about late response times, Mr Sowane said the NFA’s standard is to have crews ready and moving within one minute of receiving a call, with a five-minute target arrival time at the fire scene.

“The time we start our response is when we receive the call. The fire could have started maybe 10 minutes ago,” he said.

He urged all Fijians to call the NFA emergency number, 910, immediately upon seeing smoke or fire, rather than recording footage for social media.