A massive fire wiped out a part of the Corozal Free Zone on Friday night and losses could be in the millions for Free Zone businesses. The fire raged from 10 pm on Friday to 6 am on Saturday morning when it was finally put under control. It wasn't fully extinguished until around mid-day on Sunday.
The fire started inside Marlin's Plaza which is near the eastern section of the Free Zone. Fire Chief Henry Baizar told seven news that the Corozal Fire Department got the call around 10 pm on Friday night. One truck responded and fighters found Marlin's Plaza in flames. By then the fire was already raging and backup was called from both the Corozal detachment and Belize City. Three trucks from across the border in Quintana Roo later joined the fight.
Fire Chief Baizar says it took 8 hours to bring the fire under control because the buildings were encased in zinc and it was next to impossible to get water inside where the fire was raging. Because of the zinc, he said fighters needed mechanized equipment to effectively fight the blaze.
Baizar told us that just about everything inside the plaza was destroyed. The building was insured but not everyone who rented space had goods insured. Baizar says the investigation is complete but they still haven't determined a cause. He did stress that there is no reason to suspect arson.
