Fire destroys Belize City small business

A small Belize City business has been partially destroyed by fire. Michelle James, an Orange Walk woman who operates a boutique at 3599 Central American Boulevard, had just left the premises with her daughter around 6:30 Tuesday night, when minutes later neighbours saw flames rising from the roof of the building. Fire officials soon arrived on the scene, but the back portion of the structure containing a small living quarters, was already engulfed in flames. Within minutes the fire fighters, based at the new southside fire station, managed to contain the blaze before it spread to nearby houses. While officials have already ruled out arson and electrical fault, they have not yet determined what was the cause of the conflagration. The building is owned by James’ sister, Carol, who lives in the U.S.A. Estimates of damage to the building amount to around six thousand dollars, while James says that she lost personal items and household effects worth ten thousand dollars.