Belize City Man Homeless after Fire Consumes House
A Belize City man lost his house and all his belongings to a fire over the weekend. Tyrone Stevens had just left his house to go buy tacos and minutes later he received the distress call. He hurried to J.R. Street to find the place he called home completely engulfed in flames. Nothing was saved and he was left with only the clothes on his back. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Tyrone Steven left his home on Sunday morning to get some breakfast and while checking on his sister, he got one of the worst calls a person can get. The place he has called home since 2008 was on fire. He quickly jumped on his motorcycle and rushed home, but by then everything had been destroyed and his life earnings gone.
Tyrone Steven
Tyrone Steven, Fire Victim
“After six so ina dim awning cause I left yah so about five pass six fi go buy wah lee tacos fi eat out there. And I hail my lee sister and I sit down and the eat that and di talk to she pan her veranda. And my neighbour, Miss Sharreth, di give me a call. Tell me Tyrone yo house di burn down, but she di cry ina ih voice; ih tell me the house di burn down. I frighten; I tell ahn I di come right now. my sister hurry come with me and when I come, speed come, and when I reach yah, the place deh down.”
No one was inside the house at the time. There are two other wooden structures on the property on J.R. Street in the Jane Usher Boulevard area of Belize City; luckily, the fire did not spread to any of the other structures. Steven believes that the fire may have been caused by a fish coil that he left lit inside the wooden home.
Tyrone Steven
“I mi lef wah lee piece of double fish light pan wah pint bottle weh mi di burn. The night, lotta fly mi di come down. I guess, I noh know if something bump it or ih knock down and probably touch against the sheet for the bed or a lee cloth or something.”
The National Fire Service responded and extinguished the blaze. However, their investigation of the scene confirmed the cause of the fire was electrical.
Kenneth Mortis
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“The fire started in the living room portion of the building and consumed the balance of the building. While we can conclude that the fire wasn’t the act of stove being left on or something to that effect, what we have narrowed it down to based on our findings, we have narrowed the cause of the fire to that of an electrical fan which was a lasco type in brand. Mister Steven placed himself in a bad situation when it was found first and foremost he was found guilty of stealing electricity. So he was getting direct current from whichever source it might have been – any source except that from B.E.L. – and then in turn, his overnight electrician just wired his house. The downfall with these fans is that they have a tendency to burn out after being left on for an extensive period of time. We’ve observed the electrical breakdown effect from the wire into the fan and that is what we believe could have contributed to the cause of Mister Steven’s fire.”
Duane Moody
“So not the fish coil?”
Kenneth Mortis
“Not the fish coil; that’s a definite.”
Steven is appealing for assistance with material to replace the house and also for clothing.
Tyrone Steven
“A lee zinc, wah lee half pound a nail – yo check weh I di come from. Wah lee neva leak fi when time we done. Anything could work. Anybody out there who could assist, who would like to help. My phone number, 623-8621 dah my phone number, my contact number for anybody who would like to assist because right now I noh have nothing. Wah toothbrush, wah deodorant, unless I go buy one – but I just di say, everything gone. From my ants, my roach, everything gone.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
Anyone who would like to assist Tyrone Steven can contact him at 623-8621.
