Two boys aged nine and thirteen though admitted at the Labasa Hospital after sustaining 35% burns, are counting their lucky stars after being rescued from their burning house by their neighbour.

In what NFA Divisional Fire Officer Northern John Pillay described as a heroic action by the neighbour for selflessly risking his life to rescue the children from their burning house, Muniaapa Naicker who rescued the two boys said he acted quickly as soon as he heard the sound of the two boys crying inside the house.

The NFA Labasa responded to a fire incident at Tabucola settlement, which completely destroyed a lean-to house leaving a family of four homeless.

The home owner Sabina Bi was working in the cane farm nearby when the fire broke out.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have started in the kitchen.

Meanwhile in another incident eleven people are homeless after a fire completely destroyed their lean-to house at McFarlane Road in Raiwai on Saturday night.

They were celebrating Diwali on the lawn outside their home where they were lighting fire crackers, and it was during the course of this excitement that one of the occupants noticed the house had caught fire.

The intensity of the heat due to the heavy fire in the house contributed to the quick spread of the fire, destroying all its household contents.

Luckily no one was injured.

The NFA is working together with police to ascertain the cause of both fires.