The National Fire Authority (NFA) is urging homeowners to take greater care following a rise in residential fires this year, after a vacant house was extensively damaged in a fire at Koroqaqa Village, Ba, on Monday.
The Ba Fire Station received the emergency call at 11.53am and dispatched two fire appliances with seven firefighters. Crews arrived 20 minutes later to find the three-bedroom concrete house fully engulfed in flames and extinguished the fire by 12.38pm.
The home, occupied by a family of four, was vacant at the time of the incident. The uninsured property sustained an estimated 80 per cent damage. Fire investigators are working to determine the cause.
NFA CEO Puamau Sowane said many house fires could be prevented through simple safety measures, including switching off cooking and electrical appliances before leaving home.
He also warned that faulty electrical wiring remains a leading cause of residential fires and encouraged homeowners to have their electrical systems inspected regularly by licensed electricians.
The public is reminded to call 910 immediately in the event of a fire or emergency.
