By Lagi Keresome
Talamua Media
It’s a sad day for owners of stalls and shops at the Savalalo Flea market as they watched in vain as fire consumed the building and everything in it.
Several stall owners who were around the area when the fire started managed to save little of their material goods but the rest who left early today, could only watch the blazing fire and black smoke rising.
According to witnesses, the fire started just after 7.00pm and they did not think it would reach the stage it did
The whole market was ruined along with the hopes of the stall owners who depended on their stalls for their livelihoods.
The Fire Emergency Services Authority (FESA) said it’s too early to determine what caused the fire, but suspicion is weighing heavily on an electrical fault or a gas stove from a restaurant if measured by the speed that the fire spread inside the building.
The whole building was built of wood which added to the fast spread of the fire,that was fanned by strong winds.
Outside the building, police were having a hard time trying to keep the people out, especially some of the shop owners.
FESA responded to the call at around 7.30pm and the siren went off twice indicating the seriousness of the fire and the call for more help.
Stall owners were devastated.
“This is my family’s life… I cannot think how we are going to survive,” said Matalena Lafaialii.
Matalena’s tears flow edslowly as she remembered the struggle her family went through as they tried to make ends meet.
The business was started by her late parents and money from selling handicrafts put her and her siblings through school.
The family’s handicraft business started 30 years ago when Matalena and her siblings started selling ula pu’a and taulima laumei at hotels and to tourists in town.
“Orders started coming in from handicraft shops and since then, the family business started to excel beyond my parents dream,” said Matalena.
Other shop owners did not want to comment. Some said they want to sue who ever was responsible for their loss.
A full report of the fire will be finalized after investigation, said FESA officials.
