Fire destroys Belize City house

A fire over the weekend in a congested Belize City neighbourhood destroyed a house, but quick action by the National Fire Service prevented what could have been a far greater disaster. News 5’s Patrick Jones was on the scene and files the following report.

Patrick Jones, Reporting
Smoke from the early afternoon fire covered a section of the Hyde?s Lane/New Road neighbourhood in Saturday. Assistant Fire Chief Ted Smith says the emergency call came into the station at five minutes to two in the afternoon and three minutes later fire trucks were on the scene.

Ted Smith, Assistant Fire Chief
?On our arrival, we found the house at number two Cards? Alley engulfed in flames and a house directly in front of it at number 27 Cards Alley had flames on the southern section. Small flames, little bit, just started. We were able to effectively extinguish the one at 27 and eventually extinguish the one at number 2. However, not before most of the structure was gutted.?

The house belonged to Accountant Peter Vasquez, who was not at home at the time of the fire. Although the investigation into Saturday?s fire is still ongoing, Smith says preliminary indications are that the blaze may have been the result of an accident.

Ted Smith
?The fire originated from the lower flat. That was determined by analysis of burn patterns as well an interviewing people who saw the fire in its incipient phase. One person who saw the fire early, called the Fire Department and they were able to inform us after the fire, during the investigation they were able to provide information as what they saw.?

It was this kind of quick thinking, fire officials say that help to save lives and property.

Ted Smith
?It?s very important that the Fire Department is called as soon as a fire is discovered. In this case that was done.?

Patrick Jones, for News 5.

The house, valued at twenty-five thousand dollars, was not insured.