7 News Belize

Family in Fern Lane Fire Left With Only Shirts On Their Backs
posted (August 1, 2018)

There was a fire in Belize City early this afternoon - and, tonight, a family from the St. Martin's area has no roof over their heads and only the clothes on their backs because of it.  We found out more on Fern Lane today:…

Ezbert Ramclam - Fire Victim
"Me and my girl was upstairs in our house and we smell smoke so when we smell smoke, like we never paid it any mind at first but when we really smelled smoke, me and my girl run downstairs. So when we run downstairs a chair that was under the house got big flame with fire on it. So me and my girl gone and we start pull it to put it behind the yard to make the house no catch but we could have not haul it, I needed one more man power and we could have haul it to the back. So by the time we were done with that we run upstairs gone get some big sheets to throw over it to try smother it little bit but nothing we could to do help. So by the time I run up there to try grab my son's social and passport and the money; by the time we gone to grab those everywhere was filled with smoke. Nothing, nothing, nothing we got to save, not even a boxers, pants, nothing. The only thing we have is what we have on right now. My girl just went to Melchor last weekend gone buy all of my sons' uniform pants for college and primary school, their school bags, some of their books, shoes, everything; everything got burnt up in the room, everything got burnt up in there."

Orin Smith - Station Officer, Fire Department
"On arrival on the scene we saw that the structure was in the free burning phase, the crew got into operation to extinguish the fire and they had done so within a reasonably short span of time. There are 2 structures on the property, wooden structure elevated off ground at the rear of the property and a structure at the front. These structure are close in proximity to each other, the front structure had minimal fire damage for the proximity."

Jules Vasquez
"So how are you all able to keep the fire from spreading? We know in that property alone it's tight and in the neighbourhood in general the houses are not very far a part."

Orin Smith
"They had to be with an aggressive response in containing the fire to the one structure and extinguish it and the guys they did a pretty good job at that."

Jules Vasquez
"No fire hydrant in this area as we well know, how did you all find a source of water?"

Orin Smith
"Trucks had to leave and go to Mahogany Street where the nearest hydrant is."

Ezbert Ramclam
"A lot of kids in the yard and I just told my sons them make those kids go home because I don't like when a lot of kids around because when a lot of kids around like things always happen - like that one is fighting with that one and it's something else today, fire today."

Jules Vasquez
"How the couch start on fire though?"

Ezbert Ramclam
"Some one of them light it, some one of them had a match and a lighter but somebody light it. The foot for my house did not get burnt, so I would really want ask for some assistance in some plywood and zinc and some little things and I could run up back my house quick man because I won't stay out of my house for too long man, I want my house."

Anyone wanting to help can call 602-7962.

Ramclam and his wife both received burn injuries.  He on his hand, while she was taken to the hospital with a burn on her foot. They have three children.

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