It was a desperate and dangerous situation in San Pedro Columbia this afternoon when a massive fire claimed 13 houses - many of them thatch structures.
The fire started at 2:30 and spread quickly. Villagers called the Fire Department but when we called after 3:15 p.m., they told us no fire trucks had arrived.
At 3:00 pm Villager Nayomi Lara put out this plea call for help:
Nayomi Lara, Resident, Colombia Toledo
"Hi guys we are asking for help in Colombia, please. As much people as possible if you can go to Colombia. We are asking people from other communities or whereever in Colombia please leave what you are doing and come and try help us in Colombia because what happened is we already have like 5 or more house that has been burnt by fire that is spreading in Colombia wild. It going by Miss Bill house."
"We need water because in some of these areas water is gone. We need as much people with buckets. It started off with one church and now it basically just go in at the village, it goes from house to house. And we have a crazy breeze blowing in Colombia right now."
"And the fire just spread from house to house. Please pass on the message. If you could get other people from other communities to come and help us in Colombia, please do that. Please pass on the message."
"I know the fire truck is on the way, but there is only so much they could do as you know, as a community and a neighboring community. If you guys could please come out and help us in Colombia, please, because this is just too much."
At 3:45, we received reports that Ya'axché Conservation Trust heading out there with their rangers who are trained in fire fighting and the fire was brought under control shortly after that. We'll have more on this in tomorrow's news.
