Two families homeless after Labasa fire

Two families have been left homeless after a fire destroyed their houses at Lowcost in Labasa last Friday.

The fire started in a three-bedroom house occupied by seven people before spreading to a neighbouring four-bedroom house.

Apenisa Kubulala, 42, a carpenter with the Labasa Town Council and his family's sole breadwinner, said he was informed at about 5pm that their house was on fire.

“My children had returned from school and left their bags and uniforms at home before going to play at a nearby playground while my wife was away in town shopping,” Mr Kubulala said.

He said his five children, who are in Year One, Year Three, Year Six, Year Eight and Year 11, had completed their annual examinations last week.

His wife, Latileta Sakealevu, 35, said the house belonged to her mother's family and was where she and all her children were born.

“We are planning to find a house to rent and slowly save money to buy building materials so we can rebuild our house on the same land,” she said.

“We are not looking forward to any form of celebration such as Christmas and New Year as we also have to save money to prepare for back-to-school shopping for our children.”

Anyone wishing to assist the family can contact Ms Sakealevu on 8402159.

Water shortage hampers firefighting efforts, homeowner claims

The owner of the second house, Uate Qalo, claims a lack of water supply contributed to the destruction of his four-bedroom home.

Uate Qalo in Labasa on November 8, 2026, and his house fire at Lowcost in Labasa on November 6, 2026.

Photos: Shratika Naidu

The 64-year-old root crop farmer said he stood crying as firefighters from the Labasa Fire Station struggled to contain the blaze, which he claimed was made more difficult by a lack of water in the taps.

“The firefighters had to drive a long distance to refill their water tanks before returning. They had to do this numerous times,” Mr Qalo said.

He said that after saying his prayers at home at about 4.30pm, he walked to his farm, approximately 500 metres from his house.

The father of one said he saw black smoke rising into the sky at about 5pm and ran back home.

When he arrived, he saw his neighbour's kitchen engulfed in flames and immediately contacted the National Fire Authority (NFA).

“The place where I am staying, we get water at midnight and then the supply stops at 5am,” he said.

“My wife and granddaughter were away in the village when the incident happened.”

He said his wife and granddaughter were shocked when he told them that the fire had spread from the neighbouring house to theirs and that he had been unable to save anything.

“I bought this property with the house in 2007 and, over the years, gradually carried out maintenance, extensions and bought furniture,” he said.

“Life as a farmer is not easy, as we know it takes many years to buy something for the house.”

Mr Qalo is calling on the Government to urgently address water supply problems in the area, which he says have been worsened by El Niño conditions.

He fears more homes could be destroyed if firefighters continue to face insufficient water supplies when responding to fires.

Mr Qalo plans to seek donations to rebuild his house on the same property.

Anyone wishing to assist him can contact him on 2307899.

NFA responds

NFA chief executive officer Puamau Sowane confirmed that both houses were completely destroyed in the fire.

“While we are relieved that no injuries were reported in this incident, the complete destruction of two homes is a serious reminder of how quickly a residential fire can escalate and destroy everything a family has worked hard to build,” Mr Sowane said.

“Behind every residential fire are families whose lives are disrupted, belongings are lost and sense of security is affected.

“I urge families to ensure that everyone in the household understands what to do in the event of a fire, including identifying safe escape routes and making sure children are aware of the dangers of playing with matches, lighters and other ignition sources.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are continuing.