When fires make the news it’s usually because they’ve burnt down a residence or business causing some material loss of property. But a nasty fire yesterday evening near the 8 Mile and West Lake communities on the Western Highway didn’t destroy property – it deteriorated health and quality of life. The culprit is Maya Recycling Services, the company that collects, cuts up and then ships out Belize’s scrap metal. It was built on the roadside, right beside two residential communities. And yesterday, when a junkyard fire got out of hand, it brought into focus why having such a facility at that location is maybe not such a good idea. I found out more today.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
This may just be a pile of wrecked vehicles and other junk but this same scrap heap caused a furious fire yesterday. Thick, hazardous black smoke blanketed the area by mile eight on the Western Highway. It forced traffic on the Western Highway to come to a standstill as there was almost no visibility and nearby residents struggled to breathe. Fire Chief Henry Baizar was on his way from Belmopan to Belize City and came upon the scene.
Henry Baizar, Fire Chief
“I saw the smoke from a long distance off and it was getting more severe getting blacker and blacker. It was a lot of old cars burning and the black smoke that came form the cars were from the plastic and the old foam from the seats and the tires and what not and it was a huge, huge smoke.”
Families who live in the area were concerned about their children’s health as they were forced out of their homes and ran for cover.
Vilma Robinson, Area Resident
“It is just my grand children I was worrying about. We had to come
out of the area anyway, like try to get behind vehicles and so.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Was it difficult to breathe?
Vilma Robinson,
“Yeah, very.”
Henry Baizar,
“It was impeding traffic because at certain times you couldn’t even see the vehicles coming down the road and the other thing of concern to us was the neighbors that lived further down the road because these smoke, when something burn it gives off gases and because it is plastic and foam and what not it is hazardous to health so those were our two major concerns.”
Alvin Robinson, Area Resident
“I had an old friend and he stayed here because we were working on a net and once spell they hid the young baby to the back there. It was really terrible man and it was suffocating us. I told them to call the Fire Department to get that out because you smelt it really off.”
It took fire fighters one hour and thirty minutes to bring the blaze under control according to one of the employees at the scrap yard a co worker was using a blow torch when the fire started.
Stephen Swift, Employee - Maya Recycling Services
“Well he was torching and it looks like it just got out of control. He went for some water and by the time he came back, it was out of control.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What, sparks from the blow torch or something?
Stephen Swift,
“I guess it was sparks. I guess sparks did it. I was not sure but
by the time I was over there and I came back it was too late and I was up and down. It was hard.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
I understand that the sparks went under one of the vehicles. Do you believe carpet or some piece of old rug might have been in this vehicle?
Stephen Swift,
“Maybe, I think so. It was a chair I heard and that caught fire and it blazed up. The hard breeze which was blowing yesterday, it just caught fast.”
The workers immediately tried to extinguish the flames but the strong wind blowing at the time caused it to get out of control.
Stephen Swift,
“It was out of control and we were trying bucket by bucket but it was rolling too slow and the breeze picked up and it hit it and it just gone.”
The Robinson family was most affected because their residence was in the direct path of all the hazardous material being blown from the site. Vilma Robinson says something needs to be done to protect their environment because it is not the first time that they have been affected.
Vilma Robinson,
“This is not the first time they’ve did it. We always call the police but I don’t know, we haven’t seen any police up to now. Yesterday those guys were coming from Belmopan and they stopped and see the fire and it was really out of control. I think they had like two fire trucks out there. We couldn’t even sit down out here, we can’t stay in the house, we don’t know what to do because it goes over that side and it comes over to this side.”
Henry Baizar,
“What they need is to install a water supply with hoses in that area that if something start they can quickly put it out.”
Vilma Robinson,
“They have to stop burn copper and thing there because young child are around especially like right here. We get most of the smoke before Sunset and those places, we get lot of smoke. This morning I was telling the guys about it and they just laughed.”
The fire was brought under control about 7:00 p.m. with the assistance of multiple fire trucks.
