[Source: Supplied]

National Fire Authority Chief Executive Puamau Sowane is warning the public to be cautious when attempting a fire rescue.

Sowane says heavy smoke inside a burning building can choke anyone, irrespective of age or size, particularly if the person is not trained to perform such rescues.

His comments come following Fiji’s third fatality from a residential fire at Nadroumai Village in Sigatoka on Monday.

A two-bedroom concrete and timber house was destroyed in this incident.

[Source: Supplied]

The house belonged to a 42-year-old Methodist Church of Fiji steward and was occupied by seven people.

These included a 65-year-old who was bedridden, a 42-year-old woman, and four children aged 15, 10, nine, and three.

Sowane says a villager who first raised the alarm ran into the burning home and rescued the man before calling on other villagers for help to remove the family’s belongings.

He states that during this time, a villager who rushed to help collapsed while trying to remove belongings from the house.

The man was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The cost of the damage to the house is estimated at $100,000.

Sowane says an investigation is being carried out to determine the probable cause of the fire.

The NFA Chief is encouraging community members to reach out to their nearest fire station to establish a Community Fire Warden.

He adds that this training program is conducted free of charge by the NFA for all communities and provides basic first aid skills and response to any type of emergency.