Cabinet ministers and government workers at the Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II building were evacuated yesterday afternoon after an electrical fire broke out on the building’s top floor.
Samoa Observer reports Fire and Emergency Services Authority Commissioner Tanuvasa Petone Mauga said an electrical fault caused the fire which was quickly contained from spreading.
The Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Center is stationed on the top floor and FESA initially had trouble reaching the main switching equipment but soon managed to isolate the fire.
Tanuvasa explained that electrical fires are caused by an overload in electricity or power surge and sometimes lose connections.
While firefighters were at the FMFMII fire an alarm went off at the six story Accident Compensation Commission building just a block along the main Beach Road.
Commissioner Tanuvasa said it was not clear why the alarm was triggered but there are cases where steam from a boiling hot water jug and smoke from toasters causes the system to go off.
Brush fires also happened at Mulifanua in the afternoon.
Tanuvasa said it was not in the same area where a blaze occurred close to the Faleolo International Airport runway last week.
The public has been told to be extra cautious of lighting fires, particularly burning rubbish, while hot and dry conditions prevail.
