Baby burned in fire; house destroyed

A six month old baby was flown to the Belize City Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital early this afternoon from La Isla Bonita following a fire on the island. The baby sustained various burns to the head and hands and is in a stable condition. Shortly after three this afternoon, two wooden houses belonging to Gonzalo Lara in the highly populated residential area of San Pedrito caught fire and were completely destroyed. Grace Westby and her newborn baby were in one of the houses and managed to escape the flames before the building was gutted. The fire department contained the blaze before it destroyed a third adjacent building. Investigating Officer, Sergeant Leslie Wade told News Five that the houses were clustered in one yard.

Sgt. Leslie Wade, Investigating Officer
“At approximately three-twenty-five p.m. this afternoon, police received information of a fire in the San Pedrito Area. We responded to that fire where we observed two board buildings that were almost completely destroyed by fire. The Fire Department arrived there and finally put out the fire. These two buildings were completely destroyed, meaning burnt to ground. They were owned by Mr. Gonzalo Lara. At the time in the building was a mother by the name of Ms. Grace Westby. She had a young child, six months, who received burns to her hand and head. She has since been transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for further medical attention.”

Duane Moody
“To my understanding, there was a third house that was getting burnt as well but it was contained, but were they all in one yard, one given yard?”

Sgt. Leslie Wade
“Yeah, well if you know the San Pedrito Area, these houses are very close together, but however the one that was about to catch fire, so the Fire Department managed to contain the fire and put it out. So, only two houses were destroyed.”

Duane Moody
“Who all lived in these houses?”

Sgt. Leslie Wade
“In these houses, various tenants who at the time were not at home.”

Duane Moody
“It’s like an apartment complex or so?”

Sgt. Leslie Wade
“It’s an upstairs and downstairs apartment that is being rented by owner Mr. Lara.”

Up to news time, the cause of the fire is still unconfirmed.