The dry, arid conditions associated with this year's severe drought have ensured that bush fires are rampant this dry season. In the under-populated hinterlands, they are usually left to just burn themselves out. But today that laissez faire strategy left one Ladyville home terribly exposed. Alfonso Noble was there for the aftermath.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
The home of Darrington Quilter and Rose Arnold is nothing but a smoldering heap of rubble after a bush fire that got out of control simply devoured the small wooden structure along with four vehicles that were in the yard.
Rose Arnold, Fire Victim
"The fire started at the back of Japan then it came this way. Before it reached this house my cousin in law called the fire truck and told them that a fire is here and they said they already heard it so they are on their way. When the fire reached this side here they were trying to help out it because I thought it would catch that house and it reached all over here and burnt a red car. When it was finished with the red car then it headed to our house. Everything from our house was burnt up. I don't know what to do because everything in our house was burnt up. I want them to do something about it but it is those people back there who always start the fire."
John Quilter, Fire Victim
"Every year we have this problem man; every year. People at the back there light the fire and then it comes across here. Last year there was a van and a car that burnt up in this yard. Now this year it is a house and about 4 car."
Dianna Betancourt, Area Resident
"From it started in the back and we get the little flames and thing, we called and it started to come this side. When it started getting close to my house we went over the street and we just watched it burn down the house and cars them because we couldn't do nothing. I was already starting to cry because I thought my house was gone too because we were over there and we couldn't see nothing other than smoke. I was already crying."
While she was lucky that her home was not destroyed by the fire, those who live here say that the blaze did not have to destroy property because the Fire Department was made aware of the blaze from very early on.
John Quilter,
"We called for them from before one o'clock and they reached here at 2:20. The fire had to burn from across there and it was after, or before 1, we called for fire engine and it didn't reach here until 2:20."
Dianna Betancourt,
"Every year it is the same thing over and over. They just light the fire from the back and then it come out to the front and every year we have to call fire truck to out the fire. They took long because when we called they said they were already dealing with it. But we were across there long before it burnt down that house. We were watching the fire as burnt the house and burning up the cars and we couldn't do nothing."
Fire Chief Henry Baizer does not dispute that they took a while to respond but he says that the reason for it is that they have to make decisions based on available resources.
Henry Baizar, Fire Chief
"In this time, especially in the dry season that is on right now, there are lots of bush fires. We get called almost every ten minutes about a bush fire somewhere. We respond to some of these calls. We cannot respond to all the calls and if when somebody calls and most of the vehicles are out, we can't just disappear and left the city without any vehicles and that may be the case; I am almost sure that is the case. We only have 4 vehicles here in Belize City with which we can respond to a fire and if we get 4 calls at the same time, we just can't disappear and left the city without coverage. We must maintain coverage in the city."
And while that was a sure consideration that the department has to make every time there is a call about a bush fire, Baizar says that residents, especially in rural areas need to take on more responsibility especially because of the frequency of bush fires at this time of year.
Henry Baizar,
"People must learn to take care of their yards. I live in Lord's Bank myself but I am sure that my house will not burn down because of a bush fire, because I do good housekeeping. People need to keep their yards clean and I am appealing to the people, especially in the rural areas, they need to do good housekeeping and keep their yards clean to ensure that if there is a bush fire and they're not at home, when they get there, the house will be still standing because this is the real situation. If you keep your yard clean, to ensure that if the fire comes to your yard, then the fire might not be that large enough to catch your house on fire. If you keep your grass and yard clean, and especially this time, okay we live out in the country side and we want trees in our yard and yes that's all nice and good but there must be some type of fire pass to ensure that when it reaches a certain location within your yard, then it will come to a stop. People need to assist, need to help. Why would you just allow the fire to come to your house without even trying to put the fire out, especially if you are at home? If they say they called after 1 o'clock, where was the fire? People do need to learn to help themselves."
Good advice but maybe too little too late for those who today lost their home and property today.
