Investigations to establish the cause of the fire that destroyed 15 homes at Hanuabada on Saturday is underway.
Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo confirmed engaging officers only yesterday to start the probe.
“The buildings were all burnt down, which means all evidence have been destroyed. But we have established where the fire started,” said Roo.
“It started in one house and then spread to the others. So what we rely on now is the information from occupants of the house where the fire started and then we’ll work around what we gather.”
To identify the cause of fire, the victims of the fire and witnesses have to be interviewed and a timeline of events established.
“As soon as we finish asking some questions, then we will create our opinion so we need their cooperation…it’s a two way thing, they give us information and we can complete our report,” he added.
In the meantime, Roo warns the windy weather has increased the risk of fires spreading very quickly.
“Careful considerations should be taken when handling matches and trying to start a fire or using candles because they are living on the sea and the wind at this time is very strong.
“We can lose a lot of buildings and it can become a disaster,” he said.
(Another HB fire incident this morning)