Sivaniolo Lumelume 
[File Photo]
The National Fire Authority has stated that it loses an average of $232,000 per year in fire incidences.
Chief Executive, Sowane Puamau made the revelation while making a submission to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs.
Puamau says they record an average of 140 fires per month and the highest number of casualties occurred in 2017 alone, with 18 lives lost.
“The total cost to NFA, which is our operational cost for the last 7 years, is 1.8 million, with an average loss of 232,000 per year. This is the cost incurred by the NFA for firefighting.”
Puamau states Fiji has recorded a total of 62 deaths in the past seven years, translating to an average of eight deaths annually.
The average cost of damages sustained annually stands at a staggering $17 million, accumulating to a whopping $130.9 million over the past seven years.
