Fire Leaves Belisle Family of Eleven Homeless
The National Fire Service has concluded its investigation into a fire near Holy Emmanuel Street in Belize City and the result points to an electrical flaw. Just before two o’clock, in the wee small hours of Thursday, as the Belisle family slept inside their homes in the family yard, a fire broke in the largest structure. The blaze spread quickly consuming all three wooden structures and within minutes everything was lost. The family of eleven, consisting of five adults and six children, escaped with only the clothes on their backs and are now without a roof over their heads. Earlier today, News Five spoke with Station Supervisor Kenneth Mortis of the National Fire Service about the incident.
Kenneth Mortis
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“When our team of fire-fighters arrived, we found what were the remains of three wooden structures of various sizes. All these three structures had already been consumed by the fire, which led our team into a defensive mode so as to prevent this fire from spreading to nearby structures which we successfully did. After the fire was extinguished, we launched an investigation which we learnt that these three structures situated in the family yard of the Belisle family, a total of eleven people were displaced by this fire – five adults and six children – age range three months to sixty-three years. What we learnt is that the fire started from the larger of the three structures which was an approximate eighteen by twenty-five. The fire started from the bedroom portion of that building and then consumed the other two structures.”
Duane Moody
“Has the investigation been able to determine the cause of the fire?”
Kenneth Mortis
“We did conduct an investigation and unfortunately we have to report that this fire was started as a result of an electrical flaw. Apparently, investigators confirmed that the main structure the fire started from, they were distributing electricity to the other two smaller structures. Again, this is a misfortunate event whereby your life’s work went down in flames in a matter of minutes. We learnt that the larger structure, the occupant had just recently added an addition to that structure only less than or just about a month more or less. So it didn’t take long her for hard investment to go up in flames. I say unfortunate because these types of fires that start as a result of electrical flaw has become more and more rampant throughout the city, in various parts of the city. Whether that main structure had legal electricity from B.E.L. and then decided to distribute to the other two structures or not, it goes to show the magnitude of when someone tampers with electricity, so to speak.”
None of the three structures were insured. Anyone wishing to assist the family can contact Kamera Belisle at 629-6511 or 631-6605
