Unsuspecting moviegoers at the Village 4 Cinemas in Lautoka avoided a possible catastrophe on Thursday night when a huge blaze destroyed a three-storey building located next door.

They were rushed out of two cinemas a little after 8pm. Cinema manager Praneel Samy said he first sounded the alarm when he saw smoke emanating from the building.

“When I went to check the back of the building, I saw one of the top floors was on fire,” he said.

“We evacuated everyone immediately and tried to put the fire out.”

Baking Masters and Indian Thali Restaurant manager Praneel Singh said if the fire had not been contained, many more businesses would have been affected.

The National Fire Authority stated the fire began on the second floor of the building which was occupied by The Potters House Church, Lautoka.

The top floor was empty. NFA CEO Puamau Sowane said the quick action of the firefighters enabled them to save other buildings and shops.

“This could have been a major disaster if the firefighters would not have responded in a timely manner. I also thank the public for making a quick call that enabled the firefighters to respond to the incident immediately,” he said.

He added that fire safety was crucial for all business and property owners and it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure their properties were fire compliant.