Fire Destroys Two Houses; Partially Damaged One
A man and a woman are displaced after a fire destroyed their homes through an alley on Euphrates Avenue in Belize City. The blaze was first spotted sometime after four this morning at a wooden house situated at the back of a yard, but it spread quickly to two other houses. By the time the fire was extinguished, two of the homes were completely gutted and a third was scorched. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
This is what’s left after a fire raged through this yard on Euphrates Avenue early this morning. Jamile Garbutt rushed to Belize City from Cayo when he found out his family’s properties had been affected. He spoke on their behalf.
Voice of: Jamile Garbutt, Brother of fire victim
“My brother was sleeping. My other brother that lives – sleeps here – he came outside because it was hot, so he was sleeping outside in the yard. And then a neighbor came and knocked on my brother’s front wall there and woke him up and tell him, “hey guys there on fire in the back.” By the time dehn guys get up, you know, the first thing they try to do da take my mother outside from the other house over there because the roof mi di start catch fire. And then the blaze got high because the wind carried it over to the house in the back. And as you can see that really got destroyed completely. The young lady woman live deh I think she gone da work last night, so she came this morning to meet that.”
Garbutt’s mother, Sheila Garbutt lives in a concrete house in the same yard, and had to be helped out because of the smoke. She is said to be doing fine now. Clifton Defour, who occupied the wooden structure where the fire is believed to have started, lost everything, as did Sheran Yam who occupied the two-storey house in another yard at the back. Another sibling, Nigel Defour, who lived the house at the front, can still occupy the dwelling, although it was damaged. But Garbutt said that help is on the way.
Voice of: Jamile Garbutt
“The Ministry of Human Development came in already. They came, they talked to us, they took a little estimate and they’re going to help us to rebuild again and we have some forms to fill out.”
It is uncertain at this point where the fire originated as the investigation is still ongoing. Marion Ali for News Five.
