The National Fire Authority has recorded eight fire incidents in the first two weeks of this month.
NFA chief executive officer CEO Puamau Sowane said the number of residential fires had increased recently and it was of great concern for NFA.
According to statistics recorded by NFA since January this year to date, there were 92 structural fire incidents compared with over 80 structural fire incidents in the same period last year.
He said in most cases the causes of fires were caused purely by negligence and could have been avoided.
In the past nine months, five people had lost their lives to fire compared with six in 2020.
Mr Sowane said structural fire statistics were an indication of the social behaviour of any particular community towards fire safety.
“Fire accidents do happen, but it can be avoided if individuals champion and advocate fire safety and understand the devastating impact that it can cause,” he said.
“It is time to take ownership of your properties and the lives of your families by doing the right thing.”
He urged everyone to check and ensure that all fire safety measures were observed in their homes.
“Identifying hazards that could start a fire in your home or ensuring that all precautionary measures are taken to prevent a fire from happening is the best action everyone can take.”
