Single Mother and Four Children Left Homeless after Belmopan Fire

A single mother of 4 from Belmopan is currently homeless following a fire that destroyed her home this morning. Alicia Latchman was asleep around 4 am when she was awakened by the smell of smoke, she thought it was a firehearth from her neighbor’s yard. When the smell got stronger, she got up, only to realize it was coming from her bedroom. The brave mother managed to get her children, including two eight-month-old babies, out of the home, on her own.  She spoke of her experience.

Alicia Latchman, Fire Victim: “When I got up and I looked up I saw that it was inside the house. The entire ceiling was already filled with smoke so I just got up, quickly I jumped up grabbed my two babies from beside me and hurry proceeded to where my two older kids were and I hailed for my oldest son and told him to wake up my daughter because the house is on fire. For a period of time I got really weak because we were trying to wake my daughter and she wasn’t getting up so but after a while she got up and I managed to get them out. While we were heading from that side of the house heading to the living room the power went out in the house completely. I looked in the room which was my room and I saw everything on fire and top of the roof on fire and I managed to open the front door and I got my kids out and myself came out. I told my son to go to the neighbors for help and that’s when he went and hailed them. I stook and I watched everything just gone. Everything that I worked so hard for.”

Station Supervisor Kenneth Mortis from the National Fire Service says the fire was a result of an electrical short out. 

Kenneth Mortis, Belize City Station Supervisor: “On arrival on that scene it was a cement bungalow structure with zing roofing. What we gathered was that the fire was the results of an electrical short out which originated from the circuit box. That fire was confined to one bedroom within the building. Other parts of the building suffered heat, water and smoke damage, minimal.”

The mother lost everything in the fire. If anyone is willing and able to assist the single mother and her children she can be reached at 675-4504.