Close to a million dollars worth of property went up in a massive blaze of fire in Caye Caulker Village on Tuesday morning. But there was no glory in the blaze near the island’s popular “split” which quickly destroyed four buildings, including one private residence and two hotels, and damaged two additional homes. The fire sent ripples through the tiny island community in which tourists and residents were startled out of their slumber and the comfort of their beds around 1 am on Tuesday to the chaos and uncertainty in the pitch darkness which was compounded by rain. Tourists jumped out
of their bed and scrambled to safety, saving the little they could. Others didn’t have that option, the only possessions they saved were the clothes on their back and the only property they escaped with was their life.
That was the case with Danish tourist Hannah Jensen in whose room at the Ocean Pearl Hotel Royale the fire began. She along with a roommate checked into the wooden two bedroom bungalow house at the Ocean Pearl, which is located on Park Street, on Sunday and were planning to stay for nine days.
On Monday night, she went to sleep but before doing so she lit a mosquito coil or “fish” as it is known locally for relief from mosquitoes. It is believed that the burning coil fell on the carpet in the bungalow and that ignited the disastrous blaze. A traumatized and worried Jensen has told police and fire investigators that she couldn’t save anything; not her passport, money, or any belongings besides the clothes on her back. She is literally lost in paradise.
The Ocean Pearl’s owner Efrain Novelo, who’s owned Ocean Pearl for 18 years, says by the time he was informed about the fire, the damage had been done and he focused on preventing the blaze from crawling to his other bungalows.
And he had some luck there because the fire turned east and spread to the Costa Maya Beach Cabanas on Main Street which is where it went on to gut four cabanas and partially destroy a storeroom. Katrin Giel from Germany who was staying in one of four affected cabanas and says she watched the fire from her window. She dashed to grab all she could, which included all of her possessions with the exception of a jacket. She did it in time because the fire completely destroyed four of Costa Maya’s cabanas in addition to a warehouse.
Regrettably to the Curry family, the destruction didn’t spare their newly built two storey home. Haywood Curry says that on Monday his family moved new furniture and appliances and it was to his horror on Monday night when he got the call that a fire was in the neighbourhood. He watched in disgust and distress as it wiped out his family’s brand new home.
His distress is shared by villagers and victims as they say the Fire Department took too long to respond. In the ensuing chaos of waking up in stark darkness with a rapidly intensifying fire, tourists say they called the Fire Department around 1 am but they took an hour to respond. Ruby Novelo was perhaps the most vocal critic of the Caye Caulker Fire Department.
The Fire Department dispatched a team to investigate the inferno and training supervisor Kenneth Mortis says they received a call about the blaze at about 2:23 and responded within 15 minutes. He explains that the pump initially worked but because of the rain it malfunctioned. He said it took 45 minutes to restore service but in the interim, another pump was procured and residents and tourists formed a bucket brigade to douse the flames. The fire was brought under control around 4 am.
The damage toll is hefty. Costa Maya Cabanas estimates the loss of its two cabanas to be between $350,000 and $400,000 with an additional $8,000 for the storeroom. Efrain Novelo says his two bedroom bungalow in which the fire started was valued at roughly $30,000. Haywood Curry says his new home with new furnishings were worth $420,000. There were additional damages to nearby homes and resorts. None of the damaged buildings or destroyed properties was insured. The Fire Department has ruled out foul play and classed the fire as an accident, albeit a costly one.
