A family is homeless tonight after a fire destroyed their home in Belize City. It occurred on Usher Street after 8 last night. No injuries were reported but six people, including two infants, were burnt out of their house and home. Our coverage begins at the scene last night.
Area Resident
"You see this, this fire started long time with all the fire pump. A lot of people called the fire pump and nobody and we didn't get any response. When the pump came there was no water and then they went through North Front Street and came through the alley. Why would they go so and the fire is here. They already know this is a congested area, they already know the houses are jammed up."
A home was engulfed and tempers flared last night on Usher Street as a fast moving fire flattened a two-storey house and threatened the entire neighborhood. This is footage taken from the scene last night. By the time our team arrived - the fire had already devoured the two story building and was under control but here is video from earlier - recorded from someone's cell phone. It is believed the fire started on the upper flat of the two-storey house. Andrew Fuller along with his wife and two children who live downstairs were watching cartoons when they smelled smoke.
Andrew Fuller,
"Me, my gial, with our two kids were downstairs watching TV, a little
cartoons. We have always have a lot of scents in the neighborhood."
Keith Swift,
What type of scent?
Andrew Fuller,
"All type of scents, smoke scent, so we really didn't really it into consideration that it was a fire or anything. But when those kids started shouting in the street, 'fire fire upstairs,' and they were in our yard in the front and came to back, we looked out and it was already over our heads. It is the neighborhood which helped us out because by the time I got up and jumped out, everybody was trying to open windows and doors. That is what basically happened, a quick fire over our head."
Andrew says the only things he was able to save were the lives of his two young children, his wife, and this mattress. Within minutes - all of his other belongings were gone. His sister Natalie Fuller - seen here talking to him this morning - lived upstairs and he believes that's where the fire started.
Andrew Fuller,
"I don't really pay a lot of attention to upstairs, upstairs is where my sister lives and she is not around much. I don't pay much attention but she uses candle and thing upstairs and it could be a possibility that she left a candle lit up and thing."
This morning we met Andrew and his wife along with the couple's two-year-old daughter and three year old son sitting next to what's left of the house he had lived in all his life. His wife returned with some groceries such as this box of corn flakes and cheese donated by a good samaritan. But the family unfortunately had nowhere put the groceries because they're homeless. And while he is homeless - the Andrew Fuller we met this morning was far from hopeless.
Andrew Fuller,
"What will we do? We will work hard for everything again. Yes we are homeless, you can say that. It won't be that way too long. I have two young kids but hard work will bring back anything."
Anything - which for this family will be a place they can call home again.
The Fire Department is investigating to determine a cause. The families value their loss at roughly $20,000. Anyone interested in helping Andrew Fuller and his family can contact them at 203-5010.
