Majestic Alley “Long Barracks” Goes Up in Flames, at least 10 Families Displaced
More than ten families are without homes tonight after a fire took down their houses and properties in the Majestic Alley in Belize City late this afternoon. At news time reports are that up to fourteen families may have been displaced as the inferno blazed for at least two hours before it was brought under control. It is unclear what started the fire – reports on the ground are that it may have been electrical or it may have been caused by a child– but again we have to wait for the Fire Department’s investigation to conclude to determine the cause. What we know at this time is that it started some time after four p.m. from one house and quickly spread to an adjacent house and an apartment complex. The area was cordoned off as police attempted to bring control as hundreds gathered to view the raging fire, while the affected person stood in disbelief. News Five spoke with one of the fire victims, fifty-three year old Wayne Jones who is a vehicle washer. He lived in the barracks with his uncle and lost everything to the inferno. Jones is asking for the public’s help.
Wayne Jones
Andrea Polanco
“Wayne, talk to us, what is going through your mind right now?”
Wayne Jones, Fire Victim
“Well, I end up the lose everything weh inna mi house, ma’am. Everything. Completely. I nuh got nothing. One suit a clothes I have on. Only that I have.”
Andrea Polanco
“You lived alone or with family members?”
Wayne Jones
“Me and mi uncle.”
Andrea Polanco
“In which one of the houses you lived?”
Wayne Jones
“Number four, Pinks Alley; downstairs.”
Andrea Polanco
“In the barracks?”
Wayne Jones
“Yes, ma’am.”
Andrea Polanco
“Now, what do you know about this fire? Weh time it start? How it start? Weh you know so far?”
Wayne Jones
“Well, I mi gone out and when I di come I see wah big black flames so I say I di hurry come because I see that it look like it’s back of the station. And when I reach ya dah fire and the thing deh under fire and can’t help to safe nothing.”
Andrea Polanco
“Yo had no idea that dah yo place di burn down?”
Wayne Jones
“No I had no idea.”
Andrea Polanco
“So weh you hear so far from the people dehn weh live ina this area, yah? Weh cause this fire?”
Wayne Jones
“Well dehn say wah house weh deh close to mines, wah board house. Dehn say some pikney or something like that. But I noh know weh happen and cause the fire.”
Andrea Polanco
“Now ina di barracks itself, how many families live ina di barracks?”
Wayne Jones
“Ina di barracks? About thirty…”
Andrea Polanco
“…about thirty people. How many families more or less?”
Wayne Jones
“Each long barracks got wah family and yo got two four six eight ten twelve.”
Andrea Polanco
“So twelve families live ina di barracks? About thirty people roughly?”
Wayne Jones
“Yes ma’am.”
Andrea Polanco
“Then how many other houses around the area get burn?”
Wayne Jones
“Well dah di whole long barracks get burn and the house weh start it.”
Andrea Polanco
“So like one or two other houses?”
Wayne Jones
“Yes ma’am and the whole long barracks.”
Andrea Polanco
“Wayne yo deh with the last piece of clothes on yo back. Weh yo wah do tonight?
Wayne Jones
“I noh know weh I wah sleep ma’am. I noh know weh I wah do. I noh got nowhere to sleep.”
Andrea Polanco
“Now in terms of the response of the fire department. What do you think about the response and how it was handled?”
Wayne Jones
“They really, really ina bad shape. They come yah and then no water for long. About half an hour and no water the pour and the breeze di blwo the fire and that dah weh mess up the thing. The breeze and no water. They reach yah…two pump and no water; no water at all. And the thing just the blow the fire.”
Andrea Polanco
“So everybody ina di barracks lost everything?”
Wayne Jones
“Everything dehn loss man. And dehn got some expensive things ina dehn house weh dehn just get. Everything.”
Andrea Polanco
“Now, any kids or anybody get any kinda hurt or anything?”
Wayne Jones
“No ma’am…only lose everything outta yo house.”
Andrea Polanco
“How yo uncle di do?”
Wayne Jones
“My uncle neva deh home either, but he lose everything too.”
Andrea Polanco
“Weh yuh wah do next?”
Wayne Jones
“I gwen dah two ah my family house and try ask them fi wah two pants and wah two shirt and something fi eat later, because I have nothing.”
Andrea Polanco
“Anything else yow ah say or share?”
Wayne Jones
“Honestly, I want somebody assist me with some clothes or whatever; just a lee assistance mien. I nuh have nothing.”
As the fire department battled to out the fire in Majestic Alley, another fire was raging on the island of Caye Caulker. That blaze destroyed two buildings on the front street of the island. Fortunately no one was injured and the loss in property is substantive. The motive of this fire is still not known at this time.
