The National Fire Authority (NFA) responded to a fire incident yesterday morning at True Blue Hotel located in Sigatoka town.
NFA Sigatoka received the fire emergency call at 0850hrs from the Police and immediately dispatched the crew. Upon arrival at the scene at 0853hrs the fire crew saw smoke coming out from the kitchen compartment of the True Blue Hotel.
Upon entering the premises, the crew found that the fire had been extinguished by two mini-bus coordinators of the Nadroga, Navosa Mini Bus Association, who were at their depot when hotel staff were running out of the Hotel.
The crew quickly ensured that the fire was completely put out and ventilated the area by opening up the windows and doors of the hotel to clear the smoke out from the rooms.
NFA’s preliminary investigations suggest that the probable cause of the fire was unattended cooking. Information gathered at the scene revealed that the Restaurant’s Chef had been heating up a deep frying pan of cooking oil and had probably forgotten to turn off the power point switch after cooking.
The hotel was owned by Mr Shank Naidu who was away in Australia on business. The 4mx12m kitchen compartment of the hotel sustained approximately five percent damage.
NFA commended the quick action of two mini-bus coordinators who averted a potentially major disaster, given the close proximity of this hotel to their mini-bus depot and the Fiji Development Bank Sigatoka branch.
NFA Sigatoka’s Station Officer STO Soro Korobiau said: “This is a good example of an alert community, well prepared and supported to achieve minimal impact from fire. These two gentlemen and others like them have frequented our fire station and learnt fire safety tips which they were able to quickly apply in this incident saving this hotel from sustaining a major disaster.”
“NFA offers fire safety training for commercial entities and we encourage business and property owners to contact their local fire station and make arrangements to conduct fire fighting drills, fire warden training, fire safety at work and fire evacuation drills”, he said.