7 News Belize

Fire Burns 8 Year Old
posted (January 14, 2014)
An eight year old child is hospitalized tonight with second degree burns while his family is left homeless after their concrete house was destroyed by fire of Friday night. It happened on Giles Street in the Mahogany Extension area. The child was at home with his family when the fire started in the front bedroom of the house. Today Monica Bodden visited the area to find out more.

Monica Bodden reporting
The fire started just before 9 on Friday night at this home on Giles Street. It ignited in this front room of the house and it wasn't long before the entire concrete structure was engulfed in flames.

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"The house burnt down Friday night about 8pm but I wasn't here, only my mom and my sister was here along with the kids."

Monica Bodden
"Do you know what happened?"

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"Not really, but we got a phone call (I was at my older sister) and they said that my mom's house is on fire. By the time we got here the house was already on flames."

8 year old Ryon Martinez was among the 5 that were inside the house when it went ablaze. The child received second degree burns to his body and tonight is hospitalized at the KHMH.

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"They said that it is second degree burns and he got it in his face and hands. The understanding that I got on Saturday morning, my mom said that she had to pull my nephew from underneath the bed. I don't really know what caused the fire."

Monica Bodden
"You guys are not suspecting arson?"

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"No ma'am."

Monica Bodden
"Your nephew was inside and who else was at home at the time?"

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"My mother, my sister, my son and her (sister) other two sons."

Monica Bodden
"Did they mention to which part of the house the fire started?"

Kimberly Michael - Fire Victim
"In my mother's room."

The cause of the fire is not yet determined but what we do know is that this family has lost everything and is in need of assistance. This Saturday the close-knit community is putting off a street concert to help raise funds for the victims and they are inviting people to come out and drop off donations in any form.

Brick City - DJ Organizing Assistance
"Actually what we are planning this Saturday is that we are planning an activity on the street side and we are getting all artist. This is originally coordinated by Vida and some of the guys from Sweet Pain band. Actually we are trying to get Method on board and other artists like Consego and everybody who live in the neighborhood to come out for the day. We will start from 9 am to 6 pm. We are appealing to people out there to assist us in any kind of way so that we could help the fire victims. Maybe you could bring monetary donations or you could bring clothes and we are trying to organize a barbeque sale during the course of the day."

"The good thing about it is that the artists are on board, they agree to participate. People could hit me up at 633-5009 and if they want to be on board. My main thing with this is that anybody could be a fire victim; my main thing is for us to do our part. I don't know who else is willing to do their part, but we are going to do our part and we are going to do with the best of our abilities."

If you would like to assist the Michael family, they can be contacted at telephone number 6-6-0-0-1-0-6. The street side concert will be held on La Croix Boulevard this Saturday from 9am to 6pm in the evening.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize