Two Families Displaced by Fire In Caye Caulker
A fire in Caye Caulker Village this morning interrupted the flow of traffic and temporarily displaced the members of the Belize Police Department who are stationed out there. The blaze, which started at a house next to the police station, spread rapidly with the aid of gusty winds shortly before nine this morning. Two families are left displaced as the fire totaled their home on the upper flat and their business on the lower flat of the two-storey building. And when the fire truck was obstructed from reaching the scene from the beachfront, the residents formed a water bucket brigade to out the blaze. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Sometime after eight this morning, a fire broke out in Caye Caulker Village, apparently from the Sports Bar and then quickly spread to an adjacent two-storey building. As the fire burned freely in gusty winds, the fire truck was impeded from accessing the fire scene from through the beachside area. This made matters worse for fire fighters and by the time it was over, the two buildings were destroyed. Alejandro Arias and his family of ten occupied the upper flat of La Cubana Restaurant, which is the second building that was gutted. He told News Five this evening that from all appearances, the fire started from the building that housed the Sports Bar.
On the phone: Alejandro Arias
On the phone: Alejandro Arias, Fire Victim
“It looks to have started from the business on the side of us, the Sports Bar because my grandmother was using the rest room which is right adjacent to the Sports Bar,and she started to see the flames coming out from there. And then, well, she got out of the restroom and then basically woke up everybody. And then by the time you’re already walking down the stairs, everything was basically engulfed already. The smoke was coming up to the second floor.”
When the fire truck could not access the burning buildings from the beachfront, residents of the island sprung into action and formed their own water bucket brigade to extinguish the blaze.
On the phone: Alejandro Arias
“When I got from work, the bucket brigade was already happening because it looks like the trucks were not able to – I’m not really sure how, but it looks like the truck, one of the fire trucks was not able to pass through the beach side, like through the back of the, like where it faces the beach.”
The blaze was extinguished before it could spread to the Caye Caulker Police Station, but it interrupted the flow of police business for the morning. While the community has helped the ten persons who lived upstairs of La Cubana Restaurant, Arias told us that they are in need of clothing, particularly for his grandmother who is a plus size.
On the phone: Alejandro Arias
“Upstairs everything is burnt down. Basically, there’s nothing remaining. Then downstairs, there’s still a lot of damages. Some of the structure is still standing but everything is basically destroyed.”
Arias says that anyone who wants to help him can call him at 620-1808. Marion Ali for News Five.
