Sisters in Burrell Boom Lose Homes to Fire
Within the past week, there have been several fires across the country. The first fire happened in Burrell Boom Village in the Belize District. Two wooden homes were destroyed by fire on Friday, December twenty-first. The two homes were owned by a pair of sisters who lived next door to each other – and when the fire started it destroyed everything. With assistance from their neighbor, they were able to contain the blaze and when the national fire service arrived on scene – the fire was completely extinguished. Reporter Andrea Polanco went to Burrell Boom today to speak with the affected family.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Sisters Kimberly Seguro and Temeka Card are in need of your help. A fire completely wiped out both of their homes last Friday afternoon sometime after one. Within minutes – everything they owned went up in flames. The sisters lived side by side in Burrell Boom – so when the blaze started inside Kimberly’s place, it spread quickly to Temeka’s house. Kimberly was next door at her sister’s when she was alerted that her house was on fire – almost a week later they still have no idea what caused the blaze.
Kimberly Seguro
Kimberly Seguro, Fire Victim
“When I ran inside, I saw that my room was on fire. But when I opened the room door and thought that I had it under control to control the fire but it was out of control. I just push the door and just run out back and make sure everybody was not inside so that nobody get hurt.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do you have an idea what caused the fire?”
Kimberly Seguro
“No, ma’am. We are still trying to figure out what happened.”
Andrea Polanco
“Okay. So, did you have or do you recall if maybe you left an iron on or any electrical [appliance] that could have caused it?”
Kimberly Seguro
“No. Only my room light was on.”
Andrea Polanco
“Is there any reason to believe, Ms. Kim, that someone may have set your house on fire? Was there anything that would have caused that?”
Kimberly Seguro
“No, ma’am, because in this yard where we live we are all family.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, at this moment you would think it is electrical – something related?”
Kimberly Seguro
“Probably. I am assuming it was electrical.”
Kimberly was only able to get the children out of the houses. And then she tried to get her documents from her house, but the force of blaze was too much. And now without a roof over their heads and all their belongings gone up in smoke, it has been hard for the sisters to pick up the pieces.
Kimberly Seguro
“When I opened the room door, I saw everything inside—the whole room was already under flames—the bed, the bureau, the fan. The heat and fire came rushing out and all I could have done was just push the door back and tell everybody to get out and run out.”
Andrea Polanco
“But you wanted to save some of your documents?”
Kimberly Seguro
“Yes, my documents, because I had my documents hang right inside at the door, so when I pull open the room door it was to grab my bag with documents, but I couldn’t get it. I just had to run left it. So, I lost passports, social security cards, everything; my purse with money. Everything got burned up. I was unable to save anything at all. It is very rough. It is something that we were not expecting. Four days before Christmas. We were not expecting for something like this to happen around this time of the year.”
Now only a pile of rubble exists where the two wooden homes once stood. Kimberly lived in a two bedroom with her husband and her son; while Temeka lived in a one bedroom with her husband. Now the sisters need some help to rebuild. Construction materials are what they need right now.
Kimberly Seguro
“We need assistance very much. We are getting a little around in the village. We have our neighbors coming to give us clothes but we need assistance in getting back a structure; a house; a home.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, at this point in time, the most pressing needs are building materials?”
Kimberly Seguro
“Yes, ma’am…building materials for me and my sister.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, it was two houses separate houses; talk to me about the homes – how many rooms were in yours, hers?”
Kimberly Seguro
“In mine, I had two bedrooms and my hall and my kitchen. My sister’s house, she had one bedroom, a hall and a kitchen and she had an addition she was putting on. She had her materials under the house and all of that got burned up.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
Kimberly Seguro and Temeka Card are in urgent need of help and are asking for building materials. If you can help, please call 626-8565 or 628-2092.
