Tonight, we’ll share details of a devastating fire that destroyed two apartment buildings, leaving twelve families homeless in San Pedro Town. The blaze broke out early Sunday morning at the Centavos Apartments on Sea Star Drive, near its junction with Coconut Drive. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the victims lost everything, including three beloved dogs that were chained in the yard. The buildings, valued at around half a million dollars, were insured. News Five’s Marion Ali visited the island and brought us this report.
George Nolberto, Fire Victim
“ I was home sleeping, something tell me to wake up. So I get up and I sit on the bed and I explain to my common-law-wife, I tell her that in ya feel warm. So we both hear banging on the door – police, police, police. The door was hooked from outside because my stepson hooked the door from outside, you know, and ih get the police and the police open the door. So we come on we see fire.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
George Nolberto and his family watched in horror from their apartment in the second building as the first building was engulfed in flames. Before they or any other residents could salvage their belongings, the fire spread rapidly, gutting both buildings. Nelson Middleton, the manager of the apartment complex, was in the Cayo District when he received the devastating news. He also lost his living space in the blaze. From what he’s heard, he believes the second building could have been saved.
Nelson Middleton, Manager, Centavos Apartments
“I won’t blame the fire department because we have to work with what we got, but what happened could have saved at least one of the building because when the fire department reach on site, the second building was not even on fire yet. The next one was already engulfed in fire. So I don’t know what happened, but I mean, we have to be more careful when you go on the scene of those fire. I mean, we know we can’t save one building, then we try to save the other one because then if we have saved the other one, the next victims wouldn’t have lost everything.”
The firefighting efforts started with a bucket brigade before the fire trucks arrived, but even their combined efforts couldn’t save the second building or the three dogs that were chained up by one of the families. Sadly, the dogs perished in the blaze. Next door, Manuel Baki was fortunate that his house only suffered minor roof damage. He believes the bucket brigade saved his home.
Manuel Baki, Neighbour of Fire Victims
“The first thing I did, I started pulling out my golf carts, grabbed my documents, and by the time I’m done with that, the fire’s already spread out to the next neighbor’s house. So, the whole building was already engulfed. 00:52
02:10 It could have get worse damage if we didn’t have manpower because the fire pump, you know, ran out of water. So, all these areas, this was like – It’s mostly manpower, it was pouring water all over the homes, buckets and buckets and buckets of water. So, we also got water from the neighbor, by the pool, so we got a pump-to-pump water on the roof. That’s why my house didn’t get burned down.”
Baki mentioned that many of the victims are schoolchildren. He added that four of them had to be rescued from the blaze.
Manuel Baki
“We had the children that are students and going to school. They don’t have any books, or any pencils. And I have one who is going to high school right here. She lost everything, her laptop. I mean, they really need some help because school will be opening next week. All these people are homeless right now.”
Marion Ali
And then some dogs as well died.
Manuel Baki
“Yes, we had like three dogs that died because they were tied up, which is very, very sad, you know, and I was made to understand that we had four kids that they were rescued to because they were locked in.”
The Belize Fire Service in San Pedro received the call around two a.m. on Sunday and quickly dispatched two firetrucks to the scene. Their preliminary report reveals that the blaze destroyed two buildings, a van, an Isuzu SUV, and a motorcycle parked across the street. Early investigations suggest the fire started in a bakery on the lower floor of the front building. There’s speculation that the blaze was intentionally set by a bakery employee who had a dispute with the owner. Nelson Middleton, the apartment complex manager, says the losses are significant.
Nelson Middleton
“ We lost cash because we collect rent, we lost cash, we lost computers, we lost everything.”
Marion Ali
And that the fact that this happened at this time of year, just after the Christmas, just before the New Year’s, I’m sure that in itself has some effect on you all.
Nelson Middleton
“Of course, of course. Both buildings are over half a million Belize dollars and with the loss of all the property with the victims’ properties and everything, it’s really more. So, yeah, a huge loss.”
The victims, who have all found relatives and friends to stay with, will be getting assistance in the coming days. Marion Ali for News Five.
For more information visit:
https://edition.channel5belize.com/fire-in-san-pedro-ruled-as-arson-causes-200k-in-damages/
