Blaze causes $20,000 damage

A49-year-old father of nine children couldn’t believe witnessing his family house destroyed in a fire at Nabekavu, seven kilometres from Labasa, yesterday.

Joeli Turagalevu left his three-bedroom house at about 9am to attend a district meeting at Vunikawakawa Village, which is a few kilometres drive away.

“At around 11am I received a call from my neighbour saying that the house was on fire and I immediately contacted the National Fire Authority Labasa station for help,” Mr Turagalevu said.

“The wind was so strong that everything got destroyed in the fire right before my eyes.

“I had a big dream for my children when I bought the land lease in 2001,” he said. “Now I don’t know what I will tell my children when they return from school.” Four children are attending Nabekavu Primary School, one at Labasa Muslim College, two at the University of the South Pacific Laucala campus, one is unemployed and the eldest son is working as a prison officer at Natabua Correction Centre. Damage is estimated at $20,000. Mr Turagalevu, a cane farmer and leader of Vunikawakawa Methodist Church in Macuata Province, said he never thought in his life that he would have to leave his house and reside at his relative’s house nearby. Meanwhile, National Fire Authority has confirmed that they attended to the fire call and will compile a report soon.