THE National Fire Authority (NFA) is calling for mandatory consultation before unsafe buildings are demolished, warning that premature demolition could destroy critical evidence needed for fire investigations.
Making a submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Affairs on the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2026 last Friday, NFA chief executive officer Sowane Puamau said the authority was seeking a simple requirement for the Ministry of Health to consult the NFA before ordering the demolition of properties affected by fire.
“The reason why we are bringing this up is so that we don’t mess up with all these things, like the Public Health saying, ‘Destroy that thing’ without consulting us. We have already completed our investigation on that,” Mr Puamau said.
“It’s just a simple consultation with us, just stating that yes, you can go ahead because we’ve already completed our report and it’s already in.”
He said the proposed measure would ensure the NFA was able to carry out its statutory responsibility of determining the cause of fires before evidence was destroyed.
“They cannot order demolition without consulting us, and if we haven’t completed the investigation,” he said.
Mr Puamau acknowledged that some damaged buildings might pose public health risks, but stressed that due process must still be followed.
He added that people could be held accountable if evidence was destroyed before the NFA completed its investigations, underscoring the importance of preserving fire scenes until investigators had finished their work.
