Fire Destroys Iririki Island Power Facility, Forces Guest Relocation
May 27, 2026 10:33 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Doddy Morris.
A major fire destroyed the main power facility supplying Iririki Island Resort yesterday, forcing the relocation of guests and prompting a rare sea-based firefighting operation by the Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) Fire Service.
Corporal Jack Leipi told Vanuatu Daily Post the fire was first detected by solar plant workers who noticed smoke and flames coming from the roof of the power building.
“When the maintenance manager was asked what happened, he said his solar plant workers were at the front of the building when they noticed fire coming out of the roof,” Corporal Leipi s aid.
He said the fire had already escalated significantly by the time crews gained access to the building.
“When they opened the door and went inside, the two standby generators were already on fire, and the solar plant battery was also burning.”
Corporal Leipi said early indications point to a possible electrical fault, although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed.
“From what they saw, we can say it may have been an electrical fire which started from one of the switch boxes, but they are still not sure of the exact cause,” he said.
Firefighters later found the main switchboard fully engulfed, along with two standby generators and a large lithium battery system.
“The whole island of Iririki depended on that building for electricity,” Leipi said.
“They only receive water supply from UNELCO, not electricity. The solar plant, two large standby generators, two medium-sized generators, and a large battery system were all destroyed in the fire.”
Despite the scale of the blaze, all staff were safely evacuated before firefighters arrived.
“When we arrived at the scene, everyone had already assembled in a safe area, so all staff were safe,” he said.
Resort confirms evacuation and disruption
In a statement, the owners of Iririki Island Resort confirmed that all guests and staff were safe and stressed that the fire did not affect resort buildings.
They said the fire occurred at an external power facility that supplies electricity to the island.
The statement also confirmed that the blaze damaged a main water line, temporarily leaving the resort without water supply.
“As the safety and comfort of our guests is our highest priority, we have acted swiftly to relocate all current and incoming guests to quality alternative accommodation in Port Vila for the duration of the disruption,” the resort said.
Guests were moved to The Grand Hotel and other accommodation providers in Port Vila, while arriving guests were met at Port Vila International Airport and assisted by resort staff.
Management said they were working with the power provider to assess the damage and restore services as quickly as possible, expressing hope that the resort could resume normal operations within days.
Rare sea-based firefighting response
Corporal Leipi said the response required an unusual level of coordination, including transporting a fire truck to the island by barge.
“Normally, we never transport a fire truck by ship to fight a fire on another island, but what we did today was something unique,” he said.
He credited Pierre Brunet Shipping for stepping in to assist when the emergency call came.
“At first we planned to travel by ferry, but the team from Pierre Brunet Shipping contacted us and offered their barge so we could take the fire truck across,” he said.
“This was a huge help because it allowed us to reach the island quickly and extinguish the fire. Pierre Brunet played a big part in helping us transport the truck to Iririki.”
Firefighters also faced limited onboard water supplies once they arrived on the island.
Leipi said they used the barge’s own pump system to draw seawater to support firefighting efforts.
“When we reached there, the water supply in our truck was small, so we used the barge pump to draw saltwater from the sea to extinguish the fire,” he said.
Fire contained, public warned
Corporal Leipi confirmed the fire site has now been secured and there is no further danger.
He also urged the public to take extra care during the current El Niño dry season, warning of increased fire risk.
“We are now in the El Niño period and we expect a long dry season,” he said. “The public must be aware of fire safety.
“Do not light fires unnecessarily, do not play with matches, and do not light fires at dumping sites and walk away.
“Fires must always remain under control so they do not spread.”
He thanked his team for their response and said the incident highlighted the need to expand fire services beyond Port Vila and Luganville to other islands and parts of Efate.
