The island village of Caye Caulker is tonight picking up the pieces left by a massive fire which destroyed 5 buildings early this morning. It was an accidental fire – caused by a mosquito coil left burning in a hotel room but the toll was disastrous. There are close to a million dollars in damages and today fire victims were railing against their Fire Department. The residents say the island’s firemen were ill-equipped, unprepared, and ineffective in fighting the massive blaze which started sometime around 1 am. Keith Swift has the story.

Keith Swift Reporting,
This is amateur video of the early morning inferno on Caye Caulker which devoured five buildings. Residents, tourists, and resort owners were startled out of their sleep around 1 this morning by shouts, screams, and widespread panic on the island village.

Tony Owens, Tourist from Seattle
“We just got into town last night. 1:30 in the morning we heard this pounding on the door about the fire and we grabbed our small valuables and we rushed out the door and we came out to see these huge flames across the street coming up from the fire.”

Fraurien Frederic, Tourist from France
“We were sleeping and we heard breaking glass and first we thought that people were fighting or something like that and we looked out and see the fire. It was close to where we were and so we evacuated the place because it was dangerous.”

Katrin Giel, German Tourist
“We just got up, looked out the room and the place was burning. People jumped out of the windows because the door was already on fire, burning all over the place. So at first we tried to help them, we waked up other people in our place just to try to get the firemen here. We are tourists so we didn’t quite know what to do, how to get them, how to call the fire. Then ten minutes later we had to leave our cabana because the fire came over really quick.”

Roly Rosado, Resort Owner
“When I woke up I heard a lady hollering help, help. So I opened my back window and through the back window I see smoke. So like how we got the cabanas there I said well the cabanas is burning because it was close to the cabanas.”

Keith Swift,
“When you looked outside what did you see, how many buildings were on fire?”

Roly Rosado,
“Only one, the one which started the fire, the one over there. It spread over to the cabanas and then it spread over to the big building.”

This morning the heap of ash was smouldering at ground zero for the fire which was a 2 room wooden bungalow belonging to Ocean Pearl Hotel. A Danish tourist was in the room.

Roly Rosado,
“They said it started from a coil, a mosquito coil, and they put it on the rug because in there has rug and that place had a rug and the mosquito coil must have dropped on the rug and then that is what caused the fire because actually from there it begin.”

Keith Swift,
“What did you see when you looked outside?”

Efrain Novelo, Owner - Ocean Pearl Hotel
“Part of the building was engulfed in flames and that’s it.”

But that wasn’t the end of it because from Ocean Pearl, the fire quickly spread to 2 buildings which housed 4 rooms for Costa Maya Cabanas and then to a private residence. This morning resorts owners and tourists were tallying their losses.

Ruby Rosado, Costa Maya Cabanas
“In this area which is ours had two Costa Cabanas but there were four apartments up and down and that is totally destroyed. The one that the fire originated from, that went down totally along with ours.”

Keith Swift,
“How many buildings?”

Ruby Rosado,
“In all six buildings went down completely and two partially destroyed. Everything just gone down the drain, no insurance.”

Keith Swift,
“It must be difficult.”

Ruby Rosado,
“Very difficult and I take it very hard.”

Keith Swift,
“How does it feel know that the building you were in is all now just ashes?”

Katrin Giel,
“Yeah its incredible that it got so fast because in the beginning when I woke up I just saw it on the apartment over there and we tried to help them and then ten minutes later we had to get out our stuff, we had to get out of this place. So yes it’s incredible.”

The damage from the fire was incredible and residents say it might have been avoidable and maybe mitigated. They say the Caye Caulker Fire Department took more than half hour to respond and when they did respond, residents say the Fire Department’s engine on the water pump wasn’t working.

Roly Rosado,
“The people they got in line and with buckets they started to throw water on the building and out it only by hand. The fire pump didn’t want to work so we couldn’t actually out the fire with the fire pump because it didn’t work.”

Ruby Rosado,
“I take it very hard especially because the Fire Department was so negligent in their job and we could not locate them. The phones were ringing, there were people on public phones trying to get the Department and they were not at work where they were supposed to be. They were not at the station, they were all the way on the New Site drinking at another fireman’s house. When we located them they responded to the fire an hour after and they were of no help. We couldn’t have done nothing.”

Fraurien Frederic,
“It was quite a long time before the firemen arrived and I think maybe like three houses were burnt and I think that maybe if they had come before there would have been different.”

Bardil Elianf, Tourist from France
“They took too much time and after we heard the pump didn’t work and really it is an emergency because people are losing all they have.”

And that loss was bitter to Haywood Curry because this was his family’s brand new home. It was outfitted with new appliances and furniture but this is all that’s left – a concrete frame.

Haywood Curry, Lost Home
“We just moved all of our furniture and appliances and they were not out of wrappers yet.”

Jorge Aldana, San Pedro Sun
“Was it insured?”

Haywood Curry,
“Not yet…everything is gone. Five buildings were burnt and only one of them was on fire when the fire truck was here. My house could have, I am almost 100% sure would have been saved.”

Jorge Aldana,
“I understand it was negligence on behalf of the Fire Department.”

Haywood Curry,
“Not negligence, I am just saying the pump wouldn’t start. For sure on this island if it is the only thing we have, it should work and at least we should have a backup. I think the Fire Department just needs some better equipment.”

Ruby Rosado whose family owns the Costa Maya Cabanas says the island needs new equipment and also new fire fighters.

Ruby Rosado,
“I would like to ask the Fire Department to call in the firemen from here and to send in new fire fighters with experience, with good skills, and will be able to work. The truck here in Caye Caulker is used as a utility vehicle carrying other people’s stuff, parading with their girlfriends, and all of that stuff. We didn’t get that truck for them to be parading with woman and children. We get that truck to assist the people them from Caye Caulker to out fires. This is a total total disaster for us.”

A disaster compounded by the fact that neither the destroyed cabanas nor the home were insured.

The amateur video was shot by 11 year old Alex Owens who visiting Caye Caulker wit his family from Seattle, Washington. The damage estimate stands at roughly $865,000 and again nothing was insured. A Danish couple who stayed in the Ocean Pearl Hotel Royale where the fire started were detained and questioned by both police and fire personnel but were released without charges. They arrived in Caye Caulker two days ago and were scheduled to stay for 9 days.