An 82 year old woman perished in a fire in Belize City early this morning. As we found out she lived alone and in poverty - and while that's bad enough, what's far worse is that it appears someone ste the fire. Here's the story:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
This morning at 3:45, this old wooden house at the corner of Douglas Jones and Cleghorn Streets was engulfed in flames. The fire department is just minutes away, but by the time they reached, it was too late: 82 year old Erceline Gabourel had perished inside:
Daniel Ortiz
"Was there any means which this woman could have been rescued sir?"
Orin Smith, Station Officer - National Fire Service
"Unless she had jump from the window. The fire originated from an area which had blocked access to the staircase. 90% of fire victims die of smoke inhalation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. I cannot say which was which. My assumption and this is my opinion: she may have died from smoke inhalation."
A terrible death, made even more so by knowledge of the fact that someone set the fire:
Orin Smith, Station Officer - National Fire Service
"Our investigations pointed to the fire being classified as an incendiary fire."
Daniel Ortiz
"What does that mean sir?"
Orin Smith, Station Officer - National Fire Service
"In layman's term yes arson."
Kathleen Grant, Neighbor
"That is more cruel. Whoever did it, they don't have love."
Fire investigators believe the fire was started downstairs - but the evidence is not cut and dry:
Orin Smith, Station Officer - National Fire Service
"In that area of the building we found no fuel package. Fuel package means any combustible material, nor did we find any ignition source within that area."
Daniel Ortiz
"Can you describe the evidence which suggests that arson was the cause of this particular blaze sir?"
Orin Smith, Station Officer - National Fire Service
"Not evidence, but the lack of it. A fire cannot start without 3 elements: fuel, heat and oxygen. There were no fuel package apart from the structures' frame itself. There was no heat source within that area that you need to raise the temperature of a material for it to ignite, unless that fuel source was literally brought to that location by human intervention."
The outcome has the elderly woman's neighbors outraged:
Kathleen Grant, Neighbor
"We don't want to point any finger because the good Lord says a judger is a sinner, but he doesn't sleep, that is one thing that I know - the God that I served doesn't sleep and they will punish - they will punish! Whoever did it will punish."
Indeed when we went to see Gabourel at his home after this interview - we were told he was sleeping. Neighbors say she was often neglected:
Kathleen Grant, Neighbor
"She lives by herself, she is 83 years old. Sometimes her son doesn't come to feed her, she has to eat biscuit and ideal."
Lindy Jeffery of the National Council On Ageing says though sad this is not uncommon - but it is preventable:
Lindy Jeffery, Exec Dir. - National Council On Ageing
"But it is the community responsibility as well to keep an eye on older people. If they are living on their own: how are they living on their own? What is their situation? Maybe if they've not got any financial security - maybe help by contacting the council on ageing or contact human services."
Despite numerous attempts we could not reach her only child Dennis Desho Gabourel.
Reports say Erceline Gabourel did not have electricity in her house.
Email
Print