Kamna Kumar 
A family of 15 lost their home and belongings in a devastating fire at Akuila Bale Street, Howell Road, Suva around 9 this morning.
The blaze, which is believed to have started from the bottom of the house, left them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Homeowner Elenoa Domoni, 31, says the fire started while she was away at work.
“I was just being informed by the neighbor that saw, the first neighbor that saw the fire, that it started from the bottom of the house. One of those rooms, one was occupied by my father and the other one by my nephew.”
Elenoa Domoni (left)
The cause of the fire remains uncertain, but the family suspects it may have been due to a mosquito coil.
At the time of the fire, Domoni’s father, who is partially blind, was inside the house along with her three children, a cousin, and two nieces.
“My dad is partially blind, fully blind on the left eye and partially blind on the right. So I was thinking of him the whole time that he called to inform me about the fire.”
She says her father, unaware of the fire, was rescued by a neighbor who rushed into the burning house to save him.
The family, which consists of 10 adults and five children, was relocated in Howell Road from Wailea Settlement in 2001.
Domoni and her husband are the only employed members of the household, making their current situation even more difficult.
“I haven’t, we still I think I was talking with my husband and we don’t know where to go to right now.”
The fire destroyed everything they owned, including furniture, appliances, and personal belongings.
“We basically lost everything. All of our utensils, refrigerator, and washing machines. We have three beds and a cupboard. The only clothes that is left is the one that is on our back right now.”
Donomi says the family estimates their total loss, including the house, to be around $40,000.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
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