Fire in Hopkins costs resort $80,000

A fire in Hopkins on Thursday night has destroyed much of a local resort, costing a community group thousands. Around 11:30 p.m., a fire, believed to have started in the kitchen of the main building at the Sandy Beach Lodge, quickly overwhelmed the structure and spread to two nearby cabanas. Because the only fire service is located more than thirty miles away in the town of Dangriga, villagers could do very little to save the buildings. News 5 understands that through various efforts, the blaze was finally brought under control two hours later. The fire caused approximately eighty thousand dollars in damage and the buildings were not insured. According to fire officials, there was no one on the compound when the incident occurred and they have yet to determine the cause of the fire. The Sandy Beach Lodge is owned and operated by twelve women from the village of Hopkins.