Multiple families are displaced tonight after a destructive fire tore through San Pedro Columbia Village in the Toledo District yesterday afternoon - leveling several homes and a church.
Today, Jaleeza Roberts Jaleeza Roberts went deep south to find out how the fire devoured a quarter mile area:
About 30 people have been displaced after a fire in San Pedro Columbia leveled 13 homes. The destruction extends over a quarter mile span of the village. The chairman says it started at around 1:30pm:
Abner Cal, Chairman - San Pedro, Colombia
"I got my first call around 1:30 and I was told that a fire started by a kitchen in a thatch church all the way to the back and from there the heavy wind caused it to come to the other side of the road and from there it just trickled down all the way to this is the last one that burnt down."
"Everyone they are scared right now you know, we never know what can happen tomorrow and we definitely don't want to see another incident like this."
And on the ground was Area Rep for Toledo West, Oscar Requena, who has been making his rounds since yesterday evening. This morning he was not joined by members of the BDF and NEMO assessing the damage:
Oscar Requena, Toledo West Area Rep
"I came in late yesterday evening and I had the opportunity to do an initial assessment of the situation and then this morning I had to opportunity to Also visit all the homes that were destroyed by fire. It's very devastating and it is a sad situation to see that people have lost their homes and their belongings but what I can say, that in all of this the community, the volunteers, have all come together."
"As we speak right now we're on the ground, we've seen that the BDF has arrived, we also have the assessment team some relief supplies has been brought in and those are going to be made available to the affected families of course we know that you know the initial assessment and the investigation is going to take place, really right now what we are most concerned is we want to ensure that people are okay, that we try to provide you know the basic necessities that can accommodate them as best as possible in all of this I am very grateful and thankful to God that yes people lost their homes and belongings but no one was injured and no life was lost."
This fire began at the San Pedro Columbia Pentecostal Church. The pastor believes that it was arson:
Alberto Cus, Pastor
"I was at work and I came here, the fire was already on so when I came the building was already engulfed in flames so I believe that it's someone that light it on fire. We don't know who did it but only God knows you know so everything that's done in this world you know God knows and God sees everything."
Reporter
"Do you know if trash was burning in the area or you guys are almost positive that someone burnt it?"
Alberto Cus, Pastor
"Actually no, there was no trash burning around there was no one around the place at that time so we don't know what has happened at the moment you know."
Reporter
"What was this section used for?"
Alberto Cus, Pastor
"This is our kitchen and the living rooms, this is where we do all the works and when we have gatherings, have big gatherings and celebrations and thing like that so we do a lot of cooking here, we have a lot of kitchen utensils that have been lost. We have a great lost so that's why we are asking for assistance you know."
Each home has its own story of total loss:
Voice of: Ann Coy
"On Monday I had my birthday before on Monday night I cleaned some of my chicken. I was planning to do my tamales yesterday so my mom told me that we were gonna do it at my house but later I don't know, maybe she had the feeling this was gonna happen. She told me let's go at my house we can do it there So at 1:00 o'clock we were doing my tamales, we were stewing the meat now when my Aunty Jovita she came and told us aren't you seeing the fire the smoke, it's smoking. When I came we were just taking it as a joke and it wasn't serious. We said maybe it's garbage they're burning so I wasn't taking it real and then when I heard fire is spreading everywhere, Mr.Hun's house is getting burned then I came then I said this is getting serious so let me go see my house, I came running home."
"This is my kitchen, store room, this is where I stuff my, keep my animals things, my dogs my pigs, chicken and then I have my, on the ceiling I put things that I don't really need, I save it up there I keep it there but everything went because just recently we got married and I didn't use all of my gifts so I just save it up there because I don't like to keep things inside."
Nerio Hun, Fire Victim
"I lose like my pots, my dish, my plates and like all my clothes I tried my best to take out, like I said it's not really new but I try my best to take out all my clothes."
"You see everything right here, my posts everything is big that's a big lost right there."
"I just put in my foundation you know."
"The first first started to burn that one yonder so the fire caught that one and then the crowd come and try out and then see I have a next store room right there but it's a thatch building and the two are close apart and right there it caught on fire and it caught this one and this one and the next one."
And one of the victims whose home was the last to get engulfed and burned to ashes said that the village was in chaos for 2 hours:
Octavio Che, Fire Victim
"Well it took two hours to out all the fires."
Reporter
"Did you guys have any help in the process?"
Octavio Che, Fire Victim
"Yes, the villagers has come, the chairman has come and assist us in help."
And even though there is much sadness in the air, the villagers seem hopeful knowing they will be able to start over:
Voice of: Ann Coy
"For me, I do have this other home so I will not feel it much but I do feel sorry for the Hun family that's really sad. They lost everything but for me I did lost a lot but I can rebuild back."
And for Nerio Hun, he said that based on this experience, he will not be rebuilding his home with thatch due to its dangers:
Nerio Hun, Fire Victim
"For right now, I am planning to move on but I won't move on with leaves again because it's kind of dangerous."
"I said to myself this is the last for the thatch I prefer zinc for building my houses."
Reporter
"Even though that's the cultural norm for you guys you're willing to just change?"
Nerio Hun, Fire Victim
"Yes I am willing to change because this is dangerous because you see I'm left homeless I don't have anything again."
Addressing confusion over how the fire leaped between separate properties, the Area Representative pointed to the high flammability of thatch roofs.
Oscar Requena, Toledo West Area Rep
"On a hot day like today, it's very windy so a thatch roof is something that is very susceptible to fires, it's gonna burn very quickly so once that catches fire the wind is blowing, it blew you know a lot of sparks over tis side immediately caught this and from one house it went to the other and spread to the other until 13 homes were affected. So thatch is something that is very susceptible to fire and especially given the climatic conditions it's going to spread very fast and I will tell you, a major disaster was averted by the community all the volunteers coming together because if those houses were not wet and people were not there attending to it, it would have spread even worse."
For now, the villagers are seeking assistance to rebuild by any means they can access. Jaleeza Roberts,7 News.
While the community faces a massive recovery effort with tens of thousands of dollars in losses, officials confirmed that no one was injured in the blaze.
