It is also important for heritage-listed building owners in Levuka and other areas in Fiji, to ensure that their properties are compliant with fire safety requirements and not left vacant or abandoned.
Puamau Sowane, the Chief Executive Officer for the National Fire Authority of Fiji said this after a fire destroyed a property at the old Levuka Hospital located between the new Levuka Hospital and the hospital mortuary yesterday.
Mr Sowane said history and heritage are very important to our society.
He said property owners must ensure that if such properties are vacant then they must have security guards to secure them.
“The property in question is a heritage-listed building and the onus is on the property owners to ensure they adhere to the guidelines laid down for the conservation, monitoring, protection and management of heritage-listed properties,” Mr Sowane said.
He said being a wooden building and fanned by a sea breeze, the fire spread rapidly causing the four patients at the new hospital to be evacuated to Levuka Vakaviti Village nearby.
He added there were no injuries or fatalities reported and fire investigations will soon be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.
