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Juan Nunez, Driver & Security Guard
"I was at home sleeping when one of the co-workers came to call me and told me it was burning and I just came to assist, I just came over but I can't do nothing else you know."

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
And with that hopelessness, Nunez stared at the charred remains of what was once his workplace for 3 years.

The flames erupted at the Chateau Caribbean after 8:00 yesterday morning. It was a normal work day but according to an employee something went terribly wrong in the kitchen.

Voice of: Co-worker
"When I was coming from over there I saw smoke on top, so I said, it looks like work is on fire, so I ran over and I met another co-worker and I asked what happened and she said the fire started upstairs so I ran upstairs and asked if there are any guests in the rooms and she said I don't know, but I remembered that 3 rooms had in guests so then I saw the guests coming down and we all ran out and then we saw Mr. Lo going upstairs and then we shouted for him and he came down and by that time the entire top part was on fire already."

Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"The guests were not in their rooms, they were downstairs eating breakfast?"

Voice of: Employee
"Upstairs in the dining, one couple and then the other couple was in their room so I guess they must have heard what was happening so I just saw them coming downstairs with their bags."

"Based on what I heard it started in the kitchen so I don't know what happened or how it started in the kitchen but they said it is in the kitchen it started."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Were people in there actually cooking?"

Voice of: Employee
"Yes because some people who came in from 6:00, they usually come in that time to start breakfast."

But at this point the Fire chief can't confirm precisely where the fire started.

Ted Smith, Fire Chief
"On arrival, the upper section of a 3 story structure was engulfed in flames, the fire department immediately went into operations and tried to extinguish the fire."

Courtney Weatherburne
"We understand the fire started in the kitchen can you confirm that?"

Ted Smith, Fire Chief
"Not at this time, the investigation is in its preliminary stage and I do not want to pre judge the outcome of the investigation."

But while the fire department continues their investigation, these employees have to scramble for a job to at least hold them over for Christmas

Voice of: Employee
"Everybody feel bad because Christmas season is here and we lost our job , some of us do not have help and it is only us working , it is really sad."

But a workplace isn't the only thing that was lost in the fire, a piece of Belizean history also went up in these flames.

Before it became Chateau Caribbean Hotel, this building was the first private hospital in Belize. It was called the Holden Memorial hospital and it was founded by Dr. McCleary in 1957. Later on, it became Chateau Caribbean Hotel and Restaurant in the early 1980's, well known for their steak.

The building was centrally featured in a the first movie made in Belize, "Dogs of War" - which was shot in 1980. It used the quaint colonial styling of the Chateau as the hotel of choice for the film's lead character, played by Chris Walken.

And so while the building is gone, it's place in history as secure.

As you heard there were 2 couples in the building at the time of the fire but they got away unharmed. So far, only a fire fighter was cut to his arm as he was putting out the fire. The fire chief told us it took 15 hours to extinguish the fire and they had to get water from the sea as well. One employee told us that just last week there was a minor electrical fire at the hotel. We tried to contact the owner but, a relative told us he was busy dealing with insurance and other pressing matters. We will keep following up on the story.