Abandoned House Burns Down, Displacing Neighboring Families  

 

Another abandoned building in Belize City has gone up in flames, leaving two families without homes. Just last week, Belize District Station Officer Gladstone Bucknor warned the public about the dangers these abandoned structures pose. He explained that squatters often occupy these buildings and engage in risky activities that can lead to fires. Early Sunday morning, an abandoned building on Hunter’s Lane caught fire, partially destroying a neighboring home. We spoke with Gladstone Bucknor and a resident of Hunter’s Lane to get more details on this incident.

 

Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Officer, National Fire Service

“Approximately two thirty-five, our fire department received a call about a structural fire. Both stations responded, and three trucks arrived at the scene. When they arrived at the scene, they noticed that they observed that the front structure, a two-story building, was totally engulfed in flames. And spreading to the second building, first floor.”

 

Reporter

“Abandoned building?”

 

Gladstone Bucknor

“Yes. The first building appears to be abandoned. However, it’s still under investigation because it seemed that we had some squatters who were actually staying there.”

 

Reporter

“So like the other abundant place you believe that the persons were staying might have done something to cause the fire?”

 

Gladstone Bucknor

“As far as our investigation is going. yes. Some type of heat had to be produced at the location where the fire originated from.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Were any of the surrounding buildings damaged as well?”

 

Gladstone Bucknor

“Yes. The second structure at number ten Hunter’s Lane received the first floor, completely destroyed and the ground floor, it’s an apartment building divided into two sections two families actually. And the ground floor actually receive a lot of heat and water damages.”

 

Joan Lightburn, Witness

“The house was abandoned over there. It was right opposite us, the house. And it, as I say we just, I just felt the heat because then, the glaucoma I wasn’t seeing.”

 

 

 

 

Britney Gordon

“But you felt the intensity, so you think it was a big fire?”

 

Joan Lightburn

“I is because it burned, look, it burns from there go way down.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Was your hose damaged any at all to your knowledge?”

 

Joan Lightburn

“No. No. I thank God that the breeze wasn’t blowing, so it was going that way. That’s why they say the whole of over there burn the first, the house that was right in front of us when you walk and go right over there that the white house, that burn, right down.”