Fire guts club on Barrack Road

Easter is no stranger to the tragedy of fire, and this weekend ran true to form. In the wee hours of Sunday morning flames engulfed a nightspot on Barrack Road in Belize City. While the conflagration was eventually confined to three buildings, one was totally destroyed.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

The Queen’s Club was still open when people inside started noticing smoke. Although everyone managed to make it safely outside, there was nothing fire fighters could do to save the two-storey building that hosted the club downstairs and a hotel on the floor above. Fire officials say the blaze started in the back of the hotel and then quickly spread to the club.

Henry Baizar, Fire Chief

“There was considerable smoke coming from the front of the building. Doing an inspection of the entire area, the guys went in the back and there was fire already coming through the back of the building. So virtually what they did, they took some hose down Hyde’s Lane and over the fence get into the back of the building, that’s where they start fighting the fire. And eventually they start fighting the fire from all angles after a short while.”

It did not take long for the club’s wooden ceiling to cave in and pour flaming debris into the room. By the time the fire was extinguished one building was destroyed, while two other establishments suffered fire and water damage.

Henry Baizar

“The next building to its east on the upper floor sustained considerable fire damage. Downstairs was just water damage. The other building to the west owned by Mr. Staine just had some facial damage to parts of the window, frames and louver.”

Today, workers started clearing away the burnt zinc and debris. Fire Chief Henry Baizar says they are still investigating to determine what started the fire. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.

Baizar says following the fire there was a problem with looting and by the time the police arrived thieves had fled the scene with a number of stolen items.