A fire disaster was averted this afternoon in a clustered residential area near downtown Belize City. At a few minutes to four, fire broke out on the lower flat of Pacheco's jewelry shop on Cockburn Lane near its intersection with Albert Street West - which is just across the street from Anglican Cathedral College. Keith Madrill is a coach at ACC and rushed over when he saw the smoke. He told us how he kicked down the door and fought the fire.
Keith Madrill, Witness
"The fire was downstairs. It was three to four different areas that had fire. You had where there was like a machine on fire and in another area it looked like it was on a wire the fire ran. There were three different areas the fire was and at one specific area the fire went up to the ceiling and it was burning in the ceiling. When the Fire Department came that was the last spot that I was outing.
In there was pitch black with smoke but you could smell rubber burning and things like that and the smoke was so thick it started to burn your eyes, your throat, and eventually I was the only one staying in for a while. It was Kenrick and this other guy that were in there and they couldn't handle it and they left and they came back in. We first started to rotate. First we went one in-one out and eventually they said they couldn't handle it so I stayed and I had a piece of rag with water across my face and every now and then, I sprayed the hose in my face and I continued spraying the fire."
Keith Swift,
What made you decide to help?
Keith Madrill,
"If I am not at home Keith and there is a fire at my house, I would like someone to do the same thing for me."
Fire officials are still investigating to determine a cause. Most of the damage was from water.
