Cause of Frankie Hypermarket fire yet to be confirmed

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 12 February 2026: The cause of the Frankie Hypermarket fire at Vaitele on Monday can only be identified after all information and evidence are assessed and analysed.

The Commissioner of the Samoa Fire & Services Authority (SFESA) Tanuvasa Petone Mauga said the normal process for the investigation of such incidents take 5 to10 days before finalising the result.

“We are collecting all information from the first day of the fire from witnesses before we can analyse and confirm the actual cause of the fire,” said Tanuvasa.

He confirmed that the fire started from the storage on the second floor and while the fire was slowly spreading upstairs, things were normal on the first floor with customers and staff conducting their normal work.

Tanuvasa said an employee who went to retrieve some goods from the second floor saw the fire and alerted management.

The Commissioner of Fire & Emergency Services Authority (SFESA), Tanuvasa Petone Mauga.

He also said staff at the Bank South Pacific outlet located in the front of the store only realised the fire when they saw people running out of the store.

The fire burned for two days and the streak of thick black smoke can be seen from as far as the Faleolo Airport on the western side of Upolu Island.

The firefighters were on location all that time and while there were no casualties, a firefighter spent Monday night at the hospital.

Tanuvasa said the fire fighter suffered from fatigue and perhaps had inhaled smoke although they all wore breathing apparatus.

“He was kept at an outpatient ward for monitoring and was released the next day.”

FESA utilised all their four fire trucks and the Samoa Water Authority’s 3 water trucks to fight and finally managed to put the fire out and secure the premises from any danger on the third day.

The Frankie Hypermarket had been serving the populated Vaitele and western urban area and is part of Frankie Company Limited’s supermarket chain with 20 outlets in Upolu and Savaii.

What’s left after the fire was finally put on on Wednesday morning.