Five families, more than a dozen people including children, are tonight homeless after a catastrophic early morning fire on Far West Street in Belize City. The fire began around 2 am in an abandoned house and went on to destroy two more and damage an additional seven. It devastated one community and we were there this morning as they tried to gather their lives from out of the rubble.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is the devastation which a fire left this morning on Far West Street. Three houses were completely destroyed - one house was reduced to mere ashes - and there were seven more houses partially burnt.
32-year-old Osman Hernandez woke around 2:30 this morning to the sight and sound of a neighboring house on fire. In mere minutes, the fire spread to his
home.
Osman Hernandez, Fire Victim
"I woke up because of the heat and when I peeped through the window, I saw the other house was on fire and it only took like ten minutes for our house to catch on fire and I couldn't save anything. Everything just burnt down to ashes."
Hernandez's home and possessions were gone - in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile in the same yard with Hernandez is 74-year-old Lester Johnson. He's lived here for 62 years in this small hut but he almost didn't make it outside alive.
Lester Johnson, Area Resident
"I was sleeping and my neighbors woke me and told me to get out."
Keith Swift,
So if they didn't wake you, you probably won't make it out alive?
Lester Johnson,
"Maybe."
Victor Gongora also has reason to feel lucky. He woke up to the noise and thought someone was breaking into his car. He was wrong.
Victor Gongora, Area Resident
"I was fast asleep and you just have to work with what's going on so. I tried to just take out my family, first thing my family and as long as my family was safe, I was satisfied."
One of the houses partially burnt belongs to Jennette Leslie. She lost all the louvers from the corner of her house and the fire also destroyed her television set.
Jennette Leslie,
"Three of my windows, this window and two to the side, all the glass are gone. My TV is destroyed, the DVD player, the computer destroyed and my
grandson's college books got burnt. I thank God I didn't lose my house."
But Jenette's burnt TV and hand are nothing compared to the loss Osman Hernandez and his family suffered. They have lived on Far West Street for 12 years but now they are homeless. He doesn't know how they'll move on.
Osman Hernandez,
"I don't know. I am just asking whosever can help me with something because I don't have anything. Everything was burnt up and a little help will be greatly appreciated."
This morning the fire scene was under guard by armed police and BDF officers because investigators aren't sure if the fire scene is actually a crime scene. Fire Chief Henry Baizar says the cause is suspect because it started in this house which didn't have any electricity.
Henry Baizar, Fire Chief
"We know that the fire started on the big wooden upstairs building, the that has been burnt flat on the ground, that is on the corner of Bishop Street and Far West Street."
Keith Swift,
Any suspicion of what may have caused the fire?
Henry Baizar,
"The building where the fire started, there is no electricity so something may have started the fire. We are doing our investigation and we really don't know what started it as yet."
Osman Hernandez says the fire department took 15 minutes to respond. Fire Chief Baizar says they took less than 5.
Osman Hernandez,
"They took about like 15 minutes to reach here. I know if they had reached earlier, our house wouldn't have caught fire."
Henry Baizar,
"There are rumors that we have been responding late. Maybe, I can't say yes or no but who did they call. They did not call us. The only call we got was from the police. The police called us and we responded. We were called at 2:15 and we were there within three minutes, both vehicles were there within three minutes. Yes there is a claim that we ran out of water, yes we did run out of water."
Of course that hardly matters to these five families who'll have to literally pick up the pieces of their homes.
One of the homes was insured. If you are able to help the Hernandez family, they can be contacted at 625-2360.
