By Linny Folau

A blaze engulfed a small unoccupied house, behind the Tufumahina Royal Residence on Saturday night, November 27. 

Deputy Fire Commissioner Sinamoni Kauvaka said today the house was gutted by the fire. It was situated behind the main house.

At around 9:44pm a passerby reported seeing flames coming from the property.

The gates were locked so firefighters had to cut the wire at the front gate to enter the compound. There was no one on the property.

The cement house was already engulfted with fire, which the fire brigade put out.

The Deputy Commissioner said they were investigating the cause, but there was no evidence of arson.

“What we can confirm is that the fire started on top of the house near the ceiling,” he said.

Meanwhile, other sources said that an electrical fault had been reported to electricians, earlier in the day, on an electrical line connected to two houses in the compound.