Fire in Belize City guts a King’s Park house

Early this morning, a fire gutted a house in the King’s Park Area. Luckily no one was at home at the time of the blaze, but the family of four has lost thousands of dollars in personal effects at a time when two of their children are in school. Duane Moody headed to Lizarraga Avenue when the house was still on fire.

Duane Moody, Reporting

This morning a fire broke on the second floor of this split level residential home in the King’s Park area. The house, the property of Oscar Salazar Senior, is home to Gilroy Usher Junior and common-law wife, Kayla Palacio and their two kids. They returned to find firefighters putting out a blaze that almost gutted the entire building.

Benisford Matura, Operations Officer, Nat’l Fire Service

Benisford Matura

“This morning at approximately eighty-twenty-eight, we received a call through the police department that there is a fire on Lizarraga Avenue; actually we could have seen it from here so we dispatched the truck from here. It took two minutes to arrive on the scene. Upon arrival, there was a split level building on fire. Most of the fire was concentrated up in the roof area, ceiling area. The officer got into operation and extinguished the fire. The main area was in one of the bedroom; the western side of the building.”

The house was unoccupied as Usher Jr. and his family had already left for work and school; only to be informed that their residence was ablaze.  But with no one home, what could have caused the fire?

Benisford Matura

“After investigation and locating the origin of the fire, it led to the said room I said was burning on the western side of the building. And it was some electrical short in the AC unit that was in that room.”

But residents say that from Sunday night the firefighters were at the house…only to find that the house was up in flames. Operations Officer at the National Fire Service, Benisford Matura confirms, but says he is not certain whether both incidents are connected.

Benisford Matura

“Last night at approximately nine-thirty-five, we got a call for that said location; that said house. Upon arrival, the occupier had already extinguished the fire. It was a small fire in the living room. Apparently a lamp had some kinda short and a lamp caught fire and they extinguished it themselves. A check was done to the electrical box and found that one of the breakers had tripped.  They turned it on back after extinguished and plugged out the remains of the lamp and electrical strip with was on. And they were advised to seek an electrician to check out the wiring for the house.”

Reporter

“So do you believe the do incidents are indeed connected?”

Benisford Matura

“It is hard to say, but could be and it could not be.”

The estimated loss of the contents inside the house is seventy thousand dollars. The house which is valued at approximately three hundred thousand dollars is insured. Duane Moody for News Five.