Another fire in the city
Belize City has seen a spate of fires recently, and this weekend it happened again. Around seven-thirty Friday night a house caught fire on Kraal Road. Jacqueline Woods reports.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Marva Young, who was sleeping inside her house at the time of the incident, says she was awakened by people screaming her name and shouting fire.
Marva Young, Fire victim
“Well, I could do was get my baby and run out. I was sleeping and somebody holler for me, “Marva, Marva, Marva, where is Marva?” Like three, four times when they holler I just get up, bust my door open and when I look I just see crowd out yah and they holler, fire. And I run in back fi my baby and I just run out and that was it right there I could recall. I just see my sister’s house on flame and fire.”
The fire had started from this smaller wooden structure, the home of Jacqueline Young. It did not take long before the flames started licking at Marva Young’s house. The sisters shared a lot on Rivero Extension. Young believes if the fire-fighters had responded more quickly at least her house could have been saved.
Marva Young
“Cause my sister house tek long before it start burn down, like half an hour before they come. And after that, the fire just come and ketch mine and they still nevah come yet. When they come, they come from the front and dah noh the front, dah the back street they should mi come or else my house could mi save. That was it right deh, I lose everything, nothing noh save.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What have you been trying to do to get assistance?”
Marva Young
“Well, I just mi go round and ask people fi try help me inna any which way, anything they could give me, give my baby, my boyfriend, because everything fi we destroyed, everything; nothing we noh have.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Your sister didn’t tell you if she remembers leaving anything on in the house?”
Marva Young
“She noh really tell me nothing. All weh she seh, dah the people tell she dah from the wire, that’s all she tell me, because I ask she weh happen, weh gone on? She seh she noh know weh gone on. She just gone out and come back and when she come back she just see her house on fire. All she could do dah just stand up and watch everything just gone right so.”
Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.
According to Acting Fire Chief, Ted Smith, investigations have indicated that Friday’s fire was caused by a candle left lit and unattended. In related news, fire officials have also determined that last week’s fire on Ferrel Lane was caused by internal electrical problems.