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I headed out to the island today this morning and here's what I learned from victims, neighbors and the town's Fire Chief:

The smoking debris and charred remains of personal belongings and furniture, spread out across this empty lot was once an apartment complex that housed 12 families here on Coconut Drive in San Pedro.

The nightmare for these families started just after 2:00am on Sunday, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Kenneth Mortis, who is in charge of the San Pedro station says that it is one of the largest fires to date on the island. And it could have been so much worse:

Kenneth Mortis, Belize National Fire Service
"It is unfortunate however that amidst all this chaotic inferno 2 structures were totally damaged and totally gutted, two vehicles were damaged, a motorcycle and unfortunately the loss of three dogs. These buildings contain a number of individuals I'd say roughly 12 people with varying age groups from as small as a 5 year old to as old as a 53 year old. Investigation is still ongoing and information is still forthcoming. We are in what we call the preliminary phase to try and ascertain exactly how the fire started or what could have prompted this individual to allegedly set the building ablaze. We can only report so far that the fire was set with some kind of malicious intent by the female spouse of one of the tenants. What exactly prompted her to do such thing is still under investigation we are hearing that it was a domestic dispute that lead to this, we are hearing that this has been in the process of happening from a long long time she had stated in advance that this would have eventually been the outcome so we are working with the police department to figure out exactly if those street reporters are correct or if they are false and if they have any bearing and see where it goes from there."

All fingers point to the likelihood of arson. And since they have ruled out all electrical causes, Mortis says that the only way they will confirm that is from the victim herself.

Kenneth Mortis, Belize National Fire Service
"Electrical has been ruled out even though it proved to be true that the fire was intentionally set. Looking at the fire load that this structure has she did not need any form of outside agent she could have simply lit something and left it there to do its magic. It's going to be a bit of work and cooperation from her behalf for us to come to closure for this fire but this what we do it is not always an easy open and shut case in all the fires we have attended but we will press this one today."

The Baki family who were fortunate enough to save their neighboring structure amidst the chaos says that the videos and pictures circulating on the media cannot compare to the unforgettable trauma of seeing their neighbors' home burn down right before their eyes:

Manuel Baki, Neighbor
"We didn't really see when it started but we were woken up by my step daughter yelling Mom, mom those people are fighting outside but she instead of a fight all we heard was the blaze, a blaze coming from this apartment where the fire started so as soon as I got up I panicked and I freezed and I reacted after and said grab the documents, and we had three golf carts and I had to move all of them or else I could have lost them so that's pretty much how the fire started and then the fire engine came and the first was just going up and getting bigger and then everyone inside my house and the other neighbors they were very worried we would have caught fire so we started filling buckets of water, buckets of water and that's what helped that part of my house not to catch any fire."

"It was scary and I had my grandkids with me and they were crying and I mean all the kids that were living here, they were all crying. It was so sad everyone was running that way just you know. It's pretty sad. Like I said I am worried about the people who lost everything they have to start from Zero again."

And that's exactly what the Witzil siblings were forced to come to terms with after losing everything, having to start their business from scratch again. Virgin Witzil had moved to San Pedro to assist her brother in baking and selling pastries and bread only a few months ago. Despite her brother's attempts to stop the fire, and in her moments of desperation, all she could think of was to get everyone out of the building.

Virgin Witzil, Fire Victim
"I live on the top floor and my brother lives at the bottom and he was with me upstairs when the lady was downstairs by herself. And maybe she wasn't okay in her head. She was tripping, she was panicking, and he didn't want problems so he went upstairs with me."

"When that happened my brother ran downstairs and tried to open the door because he only put the lock and she took out the lock and when he was going to open it that explosion sent him far, yeah like around here yeah."

"I was already going to bed when we heard that and I started to knock on everybody's door. Tried to take everybody out."

Jo-
"So you were the first to alert everyone."

Virgin Witzil, Fire Victim
"Yes, I took to everybody's door and started to scream and take my kids outside."

"I got scared because when that explosion happened he came inside to see if the lady was inside to take her out. That was my fear that something had happened to him because he went inside the fire."

According to Witzil he was temporarily providing shelter for the woman accused of starting the fire, but she was suffering from PTSD and other mental issues. He said that she had been acting out earlier that night and refused to calm down. So he left the room and went upstairs to use his sister's phone to call the police but they did not arrive on time. That's when things took a frightful turn.

Fermin Witzil, Fire Victim
"When I was talking to her upstairs I heard the two tanks open the noise of the gas I ran downstairs and when I came to open the door the explosion just push me way there by the street so when I saw the fire had started consuming the gas I ran inside to close the tank but when I went to close that one I saw the other was open and the other was pointing to the other two that was connected to the oven and the stove and that melt the other one so four of them began pouring out and when I noticed the ceiling was already on fire and the walls so I couldn't do nothing else so I came out so when I open the screen door to come out the fire started spreading up so I saw my sister got nervous and screaming at me to come out so I couldn't do better and i tried to run in to stop it but I couldn't do nothing."

"I just got this oven. I had not finished paying for it yet. I still have to pay back for this industrial oven, my two bikes, my two mixers, bread mixers. I lost my tools because I do masonry but I lost everything. My business license because I used to have an open place and I lost everything so..."

And tonight so many families are saying the same - while also being aware that the greatest mercy is that no one lost their life in this inferno.

Those wishing to help the Witzil siblings can contact them at 636-7599.