Fire Displaces 2 Families in Supal Street

A fire on Supal Street, Belize City has left seven persons without a home. The weekend fire wiped out one house completely and partially destroyed another. Both properties were not insured and the fire victims say they are really in need of assistance to rebuild their lives. News Five’s Andrea Polanco has more.

Shern Williams, Fire Victim

“I peep through the window and I say I smell some smoke and by the time I said that to myself, I heard my family dem to the back of the yard said get water to out the fire and so I peeped through the window and the fire had gone high already.”

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

The fire started here inside this structure to the back of the property sometime after three on Sunday morning. It was a plywood home where two brothers lived. But this all that is left after the fire tore through their home. Fortunately, no life was lost. But the brothers are now without a roof over their heads.

Enid Williams

Enid Williams, Mother of Fire Victim

“Everything gone fi dem; clothes – they still inna deh wet up clothes and deh nuh have nowhere to stay. Yuh know? So, we are just asking for some assistance. If they neem wah build back deh house, if deh just want assist us fi mek back two rooms and try help get some clothes. I neva beg yet inna mi whole life, first time, because I am a hard working woman from I fourteen years old I di work and I neva beg nobody fi nothing, nothing. This dah the first time I di ask fi assistance.”

But before that fire was contained, it spread to this other wooden house in the same yard. The three bedroom structure is where Shern Williams and her four children live. They had to jump out of their beds after three on Sunday morning.

Shern Williams

Shern Williams

“I gone and wake my kids and say ‘ unu get up, unu get up, fiyah, fiyah, fiyah.’”

Andrea Polanco

“This is a fire from your neighbor’s house?”

Shern Williams

“Yes, next door. In the same yard and so I say ‘unu get up, unu get up.’ And I gone wake mi man and I tell them we haffi go and dah suh we get up and come out but by that time the fire is gone and I lose everything.   I fight hard to get my stuff in my house. I do babysitting and the lee bit of money I get from my babysitting, I buy piece- piece to get everything in my house.   I would really love everyone out there to help me. I nuh have nothing. I sleep right in the same house that burnt with my kids and I have mi son going to start fourth form; two girls and two boys; and I really need help to get back my house, unu please help mi.”

According to the family, the fire was caused by an overheated TV wire – the Fire Department also confirmed that statement according to a police report.

Shern Williams

“They say it was a wire that caused it.”

Andrea Polanco

“Was it like a connection that was faulty; or an appliance?”

Shern Williams

“I think they say it is a TV wire that was short.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.

If you would like to assist Shern Williams, you can contact her at 620-4024 or you can make a deposit at Holy Redeemer Credit Union account number 6-4-5-0-1. To help the Sankey Brothers you can make a contribution to their St John’s Credit Union account number 3-5-4-0-3.