When Ro-Mac’s, Odette’s, and the Thrift Centre burnt down on March 26th., it was a historic fire, both because of its enormity and because of the landmarks it erased from the country’s main street – “The Alberts.”
And ever since the fire there has been a great deal of speculation that it was deliberately set.
Well, tonight we can report that there is evidence which points clearly in that direction. I’ve been investigating and here’s what I found out about the report.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
While work crews are finishing the clean up at the site of the inferno, the story of what caused the fire is just beginning and all indications are that someone is responsible.
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“Was this fire deliberately set?”
Ted Smith, Acting Fire Chief
“This fire was classified as an incendiary fire based on the available evidence, analysis of burn pattern and direction of fire spread, and result of sample taken, the fire was classified as an incendiary fire.”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“Which means?”
Ted Smith, Acting Fire Chief
“Incendiary fire means that the fire was light, was lit or lighted by person or persons who knew under the circumstance that the fire should not have been light there.”
Acting Fire Chief Ted Smith says the National Fire Service is unable to say whether or not it was an act of arson because there is no proof to suggest that the fire was deliberately set.
Ted Smith, Acting Fire Chief
“For example when you use the word arson, it has to do with malicious intent under the definition it has to do with willful or malicious intent. But we do not know the state of the person at the time. And we don’t even know who is the person.”
According to the building’s owner Umesh Mahitani he does not know who would have started the blaze. In fact Mahitani says he finds it hard to believe that someone would want to cause so much destruction.
Mahitani also categorically denied rumors that he may have been involved.
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
“From the beginning I always wanted to get to the bottom of it to find out how it really happened. I never expected that somebody would do such a thing, I still do not believe somebody would be, would go to that point to do that. I don’t think so.
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“Why?”
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
“Uhm, I can’t think of one person that I consider to be an enemy. I don’t stockpile those things, I don’t have those things. I am amicable with everybody so I noh see no reason for anybody to do such a thing…and look at what all has happened, I mean it’s total devastation in the area. It even affects our business on this side at this store here where we are so you know.”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“Would Umesh Mahitani be involved in such an act?”
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
Never. Why would I there is no reason, no motive, there is no need for me to do such a thing you know. Like I said to Keith last time, public perception is a hell of a thing but why should I? There is no motive. The loss is way too great, way, way too great.”
Investigations reveal that the fire started in the middle section of the upper flat of the Ro-Mac’s building. And just what was used to ignite the blaze?
Ted Smith, Acting Fire Chief
“Many samples were taken from the area and sent out to a foreign forensic lab for analysis. A couple of those samples came back positive for heavy petroleum distillate. That could either be diesel fuel or kerosene fuel, something to that effect”
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building > “I am not sure….petroleum? We kept diesel in the generator room that is where we kept diesel. We always have to keep desiel for the generator in the event that you will need to fill up back the tanks so that is where we kept diesel but that’s about all what we kept there.”
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
”And where was the generator room?”
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
“All the way to the back above the bathrooms. It was like way, way to the back of the building where you have the parking lot area.
Jacqueline Godwin, 7News
“What could have started this blaze?”
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
“ The only thing we come up with am a few weeks after the fire I was speaking to several people and my sister confirmed that the generator was tried on that morning after the long Easter holiday. It is routine that we test out the generator, give it a little run to see how it works and some people commented afterwards much afterwards that the lights did come on very, very bright while the generator was running so my sister opted to cut it off and everything was back to normal so we I’m not sure, but we might suspect that maybe there might have been a small spark that may have been lit from very early in the day and turned out into a big conflagration by night. We are not sure.”
“Upstairs was mostly plastic items like toys and we had quite a bit of Belize patriotic items which would have been polyester shirts, Belize flags. some Christmas decorations from the previous year’s stock and those were all stored up there. Quite a bit of inventory in fact”
Mahitani did concede that if indeed someone started the fire it would not have been difficult for that person to gain access to the building.
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
”The building was not extremely secured. It’s not a concrete building, it’s a wood and zinc building. So if one wanted to gain entrance form any of the rear portion, it wouldn’t have been that hard, right? I’m not saying that’s what happened, right, but it wouldn’t have been that hard for somebody to gain entrance to the upstairs. Also, being a wooden building for somebody to do something like that it wouldn’t have been that hard either.”
The building was insured for one point two million dollars. Mahitani says the damage was far greater.
Umesh Mahitani, owner, Ro-Mac’s building
“A lot, a lot. We were not…ehm, I would say for a size building like that, it was insured, but it was insured based on a wooden building, so you get back money for a wooden building, mostly a wooden building, so you can’t put back a building of that size in this day and age anymore.”
The plan now is to finish the clean up and then start to rebuild.
Umesh Mahitani
“Jackie, I think you know me for along time now. We noh just sit back and do nothing, we get down and get things done. We have some plans of our own, we wanna try and rebuild back the store the way it was some way or the other and get that moving. That’s the plan right now.
Ted Smith, Acting Fire Chief
“The report as per normal for fire reports. The report is available for the owner of the business that burnt as well as the owner of the structure burnt, sometime the business is owned by someone different than the owner of the structure. The report is available for both persons if they want they can request as well as the insurance company, and it’s routine, one will be sent to the police.”
We are not sure what the police intend to do with the report or whether the person who may have started the fire will ever be found.
