This morning, a 78-year-old man died in a blaze in the south side of Belize City. Shortly after 2, house no. 40 on Berkeley Street became engulfed in flames and the sole occupant of the upper flat of the building was unable to get out of the house in time and he perished inside. I visited the scene today and spoke to neighbors and family who say there was very little that could have been done to save the senior citizen.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
It was at around 2 this morning when 73-year-old Lillian Burgess was awakened by neighbors telling her that her cousin's house was on fire. She says that by the time she got out of her own house to save herself she had been told that 78 year old Herbert Pratt had perished in the flames.
Lillian Burgess, Victim's Cousin
"My neighbor was calling me."
Alfonso Noble,
And you were asleep? So what did you do?
Lillian Burgess,
"When I opened the window, then I saw the fire."
Alfonso Noble,
It was a big fire? Was it big?
Lillian Burgess,
"Yes and then I kept hollering for my cousin and then they told me 'guess what?' he is gone."
Neighbor,
"I was asleep and the noise woke me up so when I got up I saw that my neighbor's house was on fire. So I ran down the step and I broke his door open to see if I could get in there and rescue him but his room was engulfed in flame so I couldn't do anything to help him. I was shouting for him and there was no reply."
Alfonso Noble,
He may have died long before?
Lillian Burgess,
"I think the smoke is what killed him. When the fire was extinguished he was in his bed badly burnt."
For Pratt's cousin Lillian, his death was unexpected but she consoles herself knowing that the cause or culprit of his death are not a mystery.
Lillian Burgess,
"I wouldn't say anything could have been done to save him because, as I said like this, probably God was ready for him, in any manner or any way of the sort. Thank God nobody shot him, stabbed him, and we have seen what it is - a fire. I never wanted it that way but as I said God knows best."
Ted Smith, Assistant Fire Chief
"We have not yet determined the case of the fire. We have determined the area of origin which we believe to be in the center of the structure at a low point."
And while fire investigators are now focusing their attention on determining the exact cause of the blaze, Lillian is thankful that her home was not a part of the tragedy. She says that this fire is the second to threaten her home and thankfully, the effective work of the fire department has again saved her home.
Lillian Burgess,
"Because it is too close. There was one over there that cost part of my house already and cost his one too, right there. This is the second fire."
Alfonso Noble,
So it's like a very close call for you for the second time?
Lillian Burgess,
"Yes but as I said the great man at the top I praise."
Ted Smith,
"This fire was well developed. In our terminology it was in the free burning phase and open stage which is stating the fire was already fully developed and burning through the external section of the building."
Neighbor,
"The breeze wasn't blowing and the fire just stayed right in the house. That was the good part because maybe if the breeze was blowing all the other houses would have gone."
Ted Smith,
"The potential for this fire to spread in other directions was very possible. In fact this fire had spread to two other buildings. If you observe the burnt damage that was done to two structures: one east of this building and other one north of this building both suffered fire damage, flame damage because they were on fire but were quickly knocked down before it can escalate. So this fire had a potential to cause much more disaster in this neighborhood."
But it did not and while property was in this case saved regrettably there was absolutely nothing that could have been done to save the 78-year-old Herbert Pratt who perished in the flames.
Family members today told us that Pratt was senile, and this may have contributed to the fire starting in the house.