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Jules Vasquez Reporting
It was a landmark, an institution, Raul's Rose Garden at mile eight on the northern highway, but today the trademark façade crumbled, and its just one more brunt out shell the insides entirely gutted - left to a mangled help of smoldering embers and gnarled sheets of zinc - no hint of the high times had inside these walls 7 nights a week.

The product of 30 years of occupation by Raul Magana - the namesake and proprietor who first opened the doors in February of 1981:

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"It's totaled."

Magana says he got the call just before 5:00 that the building was on fire. Magana reached shortly after it was already too late:

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"I observe the entire building was engulf in fire."

Jules Vasquez
"What was the fire response?"

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"Well I came here just before 5 this morning and it was after 6 o' clock that the water start to pour."

Jules Vasquez
"So it took over an hour at least."

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"Over an hour at least."

Ted Smith, Ag. Fire Chief
"From the time the fire develops until I arrive is far less than a hour. From the time we were aware of the fire until I arrive was far less than an hour and one truck has already exhausted its tank of water while the other truck was trying to get a lift. There was some difficulty with the other truck to get a lift, for some reason one of the suction from the truck wasn't properly tight."

The place had closed between 2:30 and 3:00. It had 33 rooms - all of them occupied and the fire started from the center at the rear of the building.

Most of the women who occupy the rooms - were not there since Monday is the only night when there is no dancing at Raul's.

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"At the time there were a few of the employees there. I would say around 15 people."

Jules Vasquez
"But no one was hurt."

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"No one was hurt because the security had time to get everyone out."

But none of the tenants - mostly women managed to save anything.

Now Magana is not sure he will rebuild this institution:

Raul Magana, Owner, Raul's Rose Garden
"Well it's definitely a profitable business. I guess everyone would like me to build it back to continue the business. It was really one of the only entertainment center and we had a large cross section of clienteles. I have to wait and see what will happen."

Magana says he had half a million dollars invested in the business; it was insured. In its early days Raul's was popular with British soldiers and after their withdrawal in the 90's - it has been heavily patronized by Belizeans.

And while you might think that the establishment's male patrons will suffer most, Magana told us that in the past two years he's seen a shift in demographics and 70% of his customers are now women.