There was a fire on the city southside early this morning, and while a home was destroyed, the news tonight is that a thirteen year old who was sleeping in the house almost lost his life. Jacqueline Godwin found out how he was rescued and what are his chances for a full recovery.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Tonight thirteen year old Robert Anthony Lord remains in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Just before four this morning the Belize City student who is also an asthmatic suffered second degree burns after the house he was sleeping in was totally destroyed by fire.
Thirteen year old Robert Anthony lives with his family right next door but is known to sleep at his family friend’s house. That is exactly what he was doing last night when fire broke out inside the small two bedroom home. Robert Anthony was reportedly sleeping in the back bedroom and became trapped. By the time the teenager was rescued he was unconscious and had received burns all over his body.
This is all that remains of the wooden bed that the teenaged boy was on when
fire engulfed the home. There was apparently no way to escape and Robert Anthony Lord first was first overcome by the fumes and that rendered him unconscious. His parents who live next door desperately tried to get their son out of the burning home.
Anis Lord, Mother of Burnt Victim
“My neighbour, she ended up coming out through her window because it seems the fire was already in the hall and the kitchen and she couldn’t come out through the door. But when she stomped out her window she hollered for we and we jumped up because we live very close. And when we jumped up, she hollered that your baby was trapped in the house. So my husband ran around the corner and he was pulling but then at the same time the window couldn’t open because she always fixed it so people couldn’t wrench it open and we couldn’t get the baby out and that while the fire the blaze and my baby was in the house. On the longer run I just went and hailed my neighbour and everybody came and they helped him raise him out and when they got him out, he was already unconscious. So they just took out my baby and they flinged him because the flame was too much.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What was that like for the fire investigators trying to reach this teenager?
Kenneth Mortis, Fire Station Supervisor
“Well as fire fighters we know our motto is lives first and then property so we heard the possibility of somebody being in the building was there and so that became our priority; removing the individual and then continue the fire fighting.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
When they finally got access into the bedroom which was pretty small, where was the teenager, on the bed?
Kenneth Mortis,
“It wasn’t clear to me if he was on the bed but at that particular hours of the morning, I would want to believe that he was probably on the bed.”
The home owner Kimberly Trapp and her seven year old son managed to make it out safely. Robert Anthony Lord was rushed to the KHMH where he will be closely monitored for the next two days.
Anis Lord,
“He got burnt in his back, his two hands, his foot, and a little bit in his forehead. He has second degree burns.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What are the doctors saying, will he need to be sent abroad for further treatment?
Anis Lord,
“They haven’t really told us nothing so far yet. They have given him a lot of treatment, the lungs had a lot of smoke, that is being clear and the thing is they say they are watching him between 24 and 48 hours to see what could change or happen with him. But so far we are just waiting.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Because right now he is very susceptible to infections, so I guess the next 24 hours is very critical.
Anis Lord,
“So he is just there breathing hard because he is asthmatic too.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Have you been able to speak to him?
Anis Lord,
“Yes we talked with him and he responds, just that I guess the burn and everything, the state he is in right now. I really don’t know what will the situation after tonight or with the burns because in the stomach, when they took the x-ray, it is swollen. So I don’t know if he got burnt bad inside or not.”
But what caused the fire to ignite? While fire investigators suspect it may be electrical. One thing they are certain of is that it started from the living room which also houses the kitchen.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Preliminary investigations as to how this blaze started I would imagine are already underway. Reports to us suggest that you guys believe it may have started from the refrigerator.
Kenneth Mortis,
“Yeah preliminary investigations into the cause continues. We have concluded that the fire started in the living room but we are trying to determine exactly what caused this fire, I mean it is a completely furnished dwelling structure with all sort of electrical appliances in the house so for us to say it started from the refrigerator or as an electrical short out, we have our team on the scene investigating this. Normally we go into a building, we follow the fire pattern providing we have one, and the level of damage done to the structure will determine if this is exactly where it started from. So hence the reason we can say it started from the living room area.”
While the fire fighters managed to stop the flames from spreading to the nearby houses at the corner of Elston Kerr Street there was nothing that could be done to save any of Kimberly Trapp’s household possessions. This morning the area’s representative Minister of Education Patrick Faber was on the scene to see what can be done to help the family
Minister Patrick Faber, Area Representative – Collet
“We will have to try our best to give whatever assistance we can and that is what we do for everybody that lives in the area, it is not just for friends and supporters of the UDP. We try, because this is a time of need for them, we try to give whatever assistance we can give. But in this case, I am happy to say that the works for renovations at least to this house was already in the pipeline, we may now have to change the plans to try to ensure she gets her properly dwelling for her and her children.”
The Minister of Education will also be looking in what can be done for Robert Anthony Lord.
Minister Patrick Faber,
“In my capacity as Area Representative I am obliged as well to try to give assistance to them as well. I have not seen him, I have just come out here on the scene and I am learning of the situation now and my next move from here actually is to the hospital to see what assistance we can give, maybe not necessarily from through the Ministry of Education, but certainly from dealing directly with my colleagues in the Ministry of Health to see what assistance we can give in terms of treatment for his burns.”
Anis Lord,
“Well if anybody wants to help, no problem, we will accept it. The number is 666-7121 or 624-7808.”
And while the public is being asked to assist Kimberly Trapp’s family and thirteen year old Robert Arnold Lord the National Fire Service is appealing to all to be carefully especially during this hot time of the year.
Kenneth Mortis,
“Exercise caution when using overloaded electrical circuits and if we just do the right thing then I would want to think that we should be safe and not only to homeowners but if I may stress this caution to villagers in the rural areas. The heat is on and it is at its peak so if we can keep our surroundings clear from high bushes then whenever the event that a bush fire arise and the Department is delayed in responding, your immediate structure won’t be threatened that seriously by a bush fire.”
Reporting for 7News, Jacqueline Godwin
Up to newstime thirteen year old Robert Anthony Lord remains at the KHMH intensive care unit. Coincidentally the homeowner Kimberly Trapp was already on the list of persons who will be getting assistance for their homes through the Venezuelan housing grant programme. But now, Area Representative Faber says they will see how quickly they can access the programme to get the Trapp family a new home. In the interim we understand through the assistance of NEMO Belize City the family should be receiving some food and clothing supplies.
