The National Fire Authority is investigating the cause of a structural fire that destroyed a family home at Bila Settlement, Lautoka, in the early hours of this morning.

The Lautoka Fire Station received a report of the fire at 2:30am from the National Command Centre.

Firefighters immediately responded with two fire appliances, eight duty officers, and two ambulance personnel.

The first responding crew arrived at the scene at 2:47am and found a wooden-frame house with corrugated iron roofing fully engulfed in flames.

The fire was successfully extinguished at 3:05am.

The property was occupied by a family of seven.

According to reports, the family was alerted by one of the children after noticing flames coming from the kitchen area.

All occupants managed to evacuate safely without sustaining any injuries.

NFA Chief Executive Officer Puamau Sowane expressed concern over the continued occurrence of residential fires and reminded the public to remain vigilant, particularly in areas of the home where fire risks are common.

Sowane says while investigations into this incident are ongoing, they continue to see a concerning trend of fires originating from kitchen areas and electrical sources within homes.

He says unattended cooking remains one of the leading causes of residential fires, while overloaded power boards, damaged electrical wiring, and unsafe use of electrical appliances also pose significant fire risks.