Majiba Sharp

Majiba Sharp, Principal, Belize Elementary/High School

“We started smelling butane. And it got stronger and stronger. The smell was getting into our classrooms and even outside, all around the campus. And so we activated our emergency plan, which is to dismiss them right away, call the fire department so that they could address it. Seems the source is the little burger pot that’s right in front of the school.”

Shane Williams

“And how was the emergency evacuation executed? It seems that it’s going smoothly.”

Majiba Sharp

“Yes, very smoothly. We have SMS with our parents so they get a message right away. They also got an email and our – every single class has a class chat, so they will get it from me, from email and from their class teacher. So that will go out in seconds and then parents, were able to come here rather quickly. So you’ll see them being dismissed right now.”

Shane Williams

“And finally for me, do you expect the students to return today or that’s it for?”

Majiba Sharp

“No. That’s it for today. So they’ll return tomorrow.”

School officials say classes resume tomorrow, now that firefighters have secured the area and the source of the gas leak has been contained.

The post Gas Fumes Force Belize Elementary Evacuation first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

A house fire can turn deadly in minutes, experts say flames can double in size in under sixty seconds. Quick response is often the difference between loss and survival, which is why a strong fire service matters. Earlier today, the Ministry of the Public Service and Disaster Risk Management honored twenty‑one of Belize’s longest-serving firefighters. These men and women have spent years, some decades, protecting lives and property across the country. Minister Henry Charles Usher highlighted why the Long Service Award carries such significance.

                     Henry Charles Usher

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service & Disaster Risk Management

“This is a long service award for our firefighters, those that have served ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five years. So, a small token of the appreciation the government of Belize has for the work that they do, the sacrifices that they make, and of course, for the dedication that they have shown to the National Fire Service. These are firefighters that are often overlooked. As part of our service core, and we’re happy that we’re able to show our appreciation and also to recognize and to respect the work that this national Fire Service does.”

Usher praised the firefighters for their courage, discipline, and unwavering dedication to keeping Belizeans safe. He said the job demands sacrifice, resilience, and a rock‑solid commitment to public safety, qualities each awardee has demonstrated throughout their years of service.

Henry Charles Usher

“Certainly, what you see here are dedicated officers. You are persons who especially those twenty and twenty-five years who have been through so many different challenges national emergencies, technological changes increase in public expectation in terms of the public expecting so much more from our national fire service. And we are happy that we’re able to provide this token of appreciation, but also to show that we’re serious about investing in our national fire service. We want to improve the services that they provide”

The ceremony brought together firefighters from every corner of the country, from Corozal all the way down to Toledo. Fire Chief Colin Gillett said each awardee has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, all in service to Belize and the communities they protect.

                             Colin Gillett

Colin Gillett, Fire Chief

“We’re very happy to acknowledge the dedication of our firefighters and other officers of the National Fire Service. Like you said, some of them have been here for twenty-five years and above, which shows that through it all, through all the years when things weren’t as great. They stuck through it just because of their dedication to the work and the people of the community they serve.”

Following the ceremony, officials toured the incomplete National Fire Service Headquarters in Belize City. Usher says that the new facility is designed to enhance capacity and improve working conditions for personnel across the country.

Henry Charles Usher

“We want to improve the services that they provide. We’re happy that we’re able to have a new building for the administrative headquarters.  And as I said publicly,  we want to make sure that in this term we build national headquarters. Unfortunately last administration sold out the national headquarters without a plan to really have one in place. So we’re looking forward to getting that done. We’re happy also that we were able to get the allowances for firefighters approved. These are some allowances that we have been fighting for some time, and of course, we’re looking at the organizational structure and to make sure that we properly compensate our firefighter.”

Belize’s ability to respond to emergencies rests on the courage, discipline, and unwavering dedication of frontline workers like these, men and women who step into danger every day to keep the rest of us safe. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The post Long Service Awards Salute Belize’s Bravest Firefighters first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Tonight, seventy‑nine‑year‑old Kenneth Flowers has no bed to return to as he recovers from burn injuries that cover much of his body. On Sunday afternoon, he and his daughter, Andrea Flowers‑Sanchez, lost everything when a fire tore through their home and left him hospitalized. Flowers told News Five the ordeal started with something as simple as trying to make a cup of coffee.

                          Kenneth Flowers

Kenneth Flowers, Fire Victim

“So I light the stove and put on the hot water. Next thing you know I hear wa cracking inna the tank so I she something noh right ya. Because this thing cry already wa time when I mi know bout it. And same way I hear pow pow.”

A faulty connection between the stove and gas tank sparked the fire. Although, he tried to about the flames, Flowers received several burns across his face, torso and arms, resulting in his hospitalization.

Kenneth Flowers

“At the same time I decide fi back up and get out ah deh and before I get outta deh good, the flames just come up right outta the burner straight inna my face. Knock me down. I run outta di yard, Like I she, if me and somebody else mi deh there, something mi wa happen.”

Andrea Flowers-Sanchez owns the home that went up in flames. For the past two years, she’s been the sole caretaker of her father, who suffers from dementia. She’d only gone out for a quick food run on Sunday when her cousin rushed over to tell her a fire had broken out.

             Voice of: Andrea Flowers-Sanchez

Voice of: Andrea Flowers-Sanchez, Fire Victim

“She called me and said she heard a loud explosion and then she saw smoke. So I had to hurry, get into a taxi and get back home. Because I came out for food for me and my dad. I have nobody else to watch him when I’m not there. So I just took the chance to her come and get the food and go back and happened.”

She said she had purposely unhooked the gas tank and told her father it was out of gas. However, in her absence, he attempted to reconnect it himself. She talks about the struggles involved in caring for a loved one with dementia.

Voice of: Andrea Flowers

“It hard inna the sense that I don’t have no real knowledge of dementia, the sickness that he have, so like day by day I di learn or I try read up if I could read up and try help him. Because when I ker he to the clinic, they just give me like Benadryl or pills so he sleep at night and, it noh really helps Sometime I lose him, he get outta di bed and he wanders the street. So it really hard because you deprive of your rest and different things, but F my dad, I have to do it.”

They’d only been in the house, a donation from Pickstock Area Representative Anthony Mahler, for under two years and were slowly making improvements. Now, they are starting from scratch and are without a bed to comfortably sleep on.

Voice of: Andrea Flowers

“So far we get donation fi like clothes. We get a lot of offer for clothes, but we need bed or different things because I need to find somewhere to put my dad because he just sleep on the sofa and he di punish. The clothes mostly for my dad and maybe my baby because some of mines I di try see if I could see. But my baby foot size, like size ten and ina clothes  da like three-t, four-t. My dad that like size thirty-two pants and medium shirts and footwear at nine and a half.”

While shaken by the incident, Kenneth Flowers is grateful to be alive and is steadily recovering with the help of his daughter.

Kenneth Flowers

“It gone fair enough. I’m still alive so its fair enough.”

The family is accepting all forms of donations at this time. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The post Elderly Dementia Patient Left Homeless Following House Fire first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

              On the Phone: German Edel Zetina

On the Phone: German Edel Zetina, Fire Victim

“I got a little brother that lives with me there because I was working at Belize, but then when I got informed by my little sister, Lilian Romero, she called me and she sent me a message and I saw it that my house was burning and it got burn down. So when I reached there, it was everything got burn, everything.”

Britney Gordon

“Do you guys have any idea what started the fire?”

On the Phone: German Edel Zetina

“At the moment, no, ma’am, because they told me that they have to wait for the fire firefighters to tell them what was the cause or whatever. But at the moment, I don’t have no idea why or what caused it.”

Britney Gordon

“What are some of the things that you need right now? Are you in need of clothes, finances, materials?”

On the Phone: German Edel Zetina

“The most is the, to build a house is like materials and a little finance for the labor and so pay so they and can help me and the material. Yeah, because everything I have, clothes from my little babies. My one, everything that I had here, all my stuff, TVs, everything, beds, everything. Everything. Nothing could save.”

Zetina says he still doesn’t know what sparked the fire, and police are now waiting on firefighters to determine the cause. What he does know is that everything he owned, clothes, furniture, appliances, was destroyed. Now, he’s appealing to the public for building materials and financial help to put a roof back over their heads.

The post Devastating Corozal Fire Destroys Family Home first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

79‑year‑old Kenneth Flowers, who suffers from dementia, was attempting to make a cup of coffee when an unconnected gas tank sparked an explosion.

Speaking about the incident, Flowers recalled, “I light the stove and put on the hot water. Next thing I know, I hear a cracking in the tank… Before I could get out of there good, the flame just come up right out of the burner straight in my face, knocked me down.”

Flowers sustained serious burn injuries in the blast and was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment. His daughter, Andrea Flowers Sanchez, said she had stepped out briefly to buy food when her cousin next door called to say she heard an explosion and saw smoke.

“I had to hurry get into a taxi and get back home, cause I came out for food for me and my dad. I have nobody else to watch him when I’m not there. So I just took the chance to hurry come and get the food and go back and it happened,” she said.

Sanchez explained that she had disconnected the gas tank from the stove, but her father likely forgot when he attempted to light it.

The family lost all their possessions in the blaze. While clothing donations have started arriving, Sanchez, who is the sole caregiver for her father and mother to a two-year-old son, says their most urgent needs are furniture, bedding, pampers, and financial support.

“We really need financial support…  So far we get donation fi like clothes, but we need bed or different things, cause I need to find somewhere to put my dad cause he just sleep on the sofa. And he di punish. We don’t really have space at my mom,” she said.

The post Family Pleads for Support After Explosion Destroys Home first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Kenneth Flowers was inside the house when an explosion occurred as he attempted to light a stove. The blast sparked a fire that quickly spread.

Fire personnel responded and assisted Flores, who was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) for treatment.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of the National Crime Investigation Branch, told reporters, “Information is that he was lighting a stove when there was an explosion, causing his injuries.”

The post Explosion Leads to House Fire first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Voice of: Damian Sanchez

Voice of: Damian Sanchez, Fire Victim

“ I was at my mom’s house and someone came to the house and informed me that there was smoke coming through the window. So we rushed to the scene and we saw all neighbors on the side of the road, and then fortunately they called the fire department. They came and they did what they could. Most of the things inside the house is torched. It’s yeah, not pretty good scene there. But thankfully everything outside of it, it’s good. But everything inside it, yeah, everything’s dark in there, but fortunately thanks to God, you could just rebuild one. And by the time it could, at one certain point could look better than it used to be.”

Britney Gordon

“ What is the possible reason for this fire?”

Voice of: Damian Sanchez

“That’s a good question because there is no live wire in the house, so  it could a lot of my neighbors told me during the time that there was a guy in a white pickup truck looking around going on the steps and when they noticed, when he noticed that they were watching, he just left. With that same time and date reference. They later saw smoke, so coincidence. Maybe he’s the guy who did it. But yeah and I also, when everything was done with the fire department, I noticed there was a slight crack on the window shutters. So possibly that’s how he did it.”

Sanchez says while the damage inside his home is extensive, he’s thankful no one was hurt. As investigators work to determine what sparked the fire, he’s now focused on rebuilding, hoping this difficult start to the new year will eventually lead to a fresh beginning.”

The post New Year Begins in Ashes for Belama Resident first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Damian Sanchez, who had only been living in the house for five months, said he was away when neighbours noticed smoke coming from a window. The fire department was quickly called, but by the time he arrived, the damage was extensive.

Inside, furniture, appliances, plumbing, and wiring were all torched. Sanchez described the loss as significant. “With this economy, everything just went up. The prices, everything is a different value. Especially with labour. So yeah, it’s a great value of loss there,” he said.

The house, built three years ago, had no electricity or water meters installed, leading Sanchez to believe faulty wiring was not the cause. Neighbours reported seeing a man in a white pickup truck near the property, walking up the steps before leaving when he realised he was being watched.

After the fire was extinguished, Sanchez noticed a crack in the window shutters, which he suspects may have been used to gain access. “A fire wouldn’t just start out of the blue, so it had to be something,” he said.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the blaze.

The post Belama Home Destroyed in Suspected Arson first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

On the Phone: Jose Mejia, Fire Victim

“We were sleeping. We were sleeping, miss and then suddenly I receive a message from my girl. And then I wake up. When I wake up I see like smoke. I smell smoke, and then I hurry, wake up bralee because he was in other bed from other room and then the fire actually start in my sister-in-law room where no one was there in the that room.”

Britney Gordon

“So do you have any idea how the fire was started?”

Jose Mejia

“Actually miss there was there was one outlet miss on that at two by four post. And then the fire was already high. The fire wasn’t like I dunno how to say the tocador, where they put clothes.”

Britney Gordon

“And were you guys able to make it out of the house safely with no injuries?”

Jose Mejia

“Only my foot  get a lee burn miss. And then because I stayed with my lee baby miss. I hurry and wake up my lee bralee. I hurry make he get up. And the next one also. So I wake up my baby and hurry tek out he from the house.”

Britney Gordon

“And how quickly were fire personnel able to get to your place? Were they able to recover anything?”

On the Phone: Jose Mejia

“Actually not anything the the first fireman came when everything was almost burn, miss.”

Britney Gordon

“So you guys lost everything, essentially?”

On the Phone: Jose Mejia

“Everything miss. I was trying to save him was trying to save some clothes, but then the fire catch it, miss, and then everything get burned. We have one from little girl from six years. We have my baby who’s in four years. And then we have my sister-in-law daughter where she have him four years. And we have a  seven-year-old. We have an eleven-year-old, thirteen, fifteen. We got one twenty-one. You got one twenty-three and we have my father-in-law who is forty-five.”

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The post Family of Ten Left Homeless in Guinea Grass House Fire first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

The fire broke out around six a.m. when twenty-five-year-old Jose Mejia woke to the smell of smoke. Mejia said he quickly realized flames were coming from one of the rooms in the house and rushed to get everyone out.

“We were sleeping. We were sleeping, miss and then suddenly I receive a message from my girl. And then I wake up. When I wake up I see like smoke. I smell smoke, and then I hurry, wake up bralee because he was in other bed from other room and then the fire actually start in my sister-in-law room where no one was there in the that room,” Mejia said in a telephone interview.

When asked about the possible cause of the fire, Mejia pointed to an electrical issue. “Actually miss there was there was one outlet miss on that at two by four post. And then the fire was already high. The fire wasn’t like I dunno how to say the tocador, where they put clothes,” he said.

Despite the fast-spreading flames, Mejia said everyone managed to escape the house. “Only my foot get a lee burn miss. And then because I stayed with my lee baby miss. I hurry and wake up my lee bralee. I hurry make he get up. And the next one also. So I wake up my baby and hurry tek out he from the house,” he said.

Fire personnel arrived after the blaze had already caused extensive damage. “Actually not anything the the first fireman came when everything was almost burn, miss,” Mejia said.

The family was unable to salvage any of their belongings. “Everything miss. I was trying to save him was trying to save some clothes, but then the fire catch it, miss, and then everything get burned,” he said.

Mejia explained that the household includes several children and extended family members. “We have one from little girl from six years. We have my baby who’s in four years. And then we have my sister-in-law daughter where she have him four years. And we have a seven-year-old. We have an eleven-year-old, thirteen, fifteen. We got one twenty-one. You got one twenty-three and we have my father-in-law who is forty-five,” he said.

The family says they are now left with nothing and are seeking assistance from the public as they try to rebuild after the fire.

You can contact the family at +501 656-2143 or +501 606-0666.

The post Family of Ten Left Homeless After Early Morning Fire first appeared on Greater Belize Media.