San Narciso house fire destroys family home, residents escape safely

A home in the village of San Narciso, Corozal District, was completely destroyed by fire this morning, leaving a family with nothing but gratitude to be alive. Firefighters responded to reports of a house fire at around ten o’clock this morning. Upon arrival, they found the residence of Lilia Pott and her mother fully engulfed in flames. Fire officials said it took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control. According to Pott, she was in the kitchen when she heard a loud noise coming from the hallway. Pott said she screamed for help and attempted to put out the fire with water, but the flames quickly grew out of control. Nearby residents rushed to assist, helping Pott and her disabled mother, escape the burning home.

Lilia Pott, Daughter of Home Owner: “I heard the noise in the living room like something had fallen. Some people said it was an explosion, I don’t know. The thing is I immediately went to see what had happened and then I saw fire on my sister’s desk which is a work station. You know the desk has papers, laptops, cables and a modem. I didn’t stop to see whether it was a cable or what it was. I only saw fire. So I immediately went to get water and rags to try to out it. When my mother heard me shout that there was a fire she tried to come but she fell in the kitchen. I didn’t know whether to help my mother or get the rags to put out the fire. I yelled to the neighbors to help me. The neighbor shouted to other neighbors to help and thankfully there were other men nearby. I was telling them to turn off the breaker in the other room to see if if the fire would out. But they told me it was impossible because the fire had already consumed the ceiling which was made of celotex as well as the paint and rooms and everything. The house was closed up and that’s why I think the fire spread more quickly.”

Pott says she was numb and just stood there watching their home completely destroyed.

Lilia Pott, Daughter of Home Owner: “They told me that my mother should be outside and that I should be outside too because the smoke could harm us. I stayed inside watching, trying, my mind was blocked. I only wanted to remove the items because they were valuable.. I didn’t know what to do. I was lost. My phone couldn’t send messages or make calls because the modem was the first thing that got burnt. They told me to get out. I told them to get out too. To leave everything and go outside because they are important as well. The men went out. It was a total loss. Clothes, books, everything that well kept home has but I trust in God that he does things for a reason. Today I was with my mother, today I experienced how things can collapse in minutes. I am grateful that my mother is alive. I am alive. I thank God that the family is together. Things happen for a reason and I trust in God that material things can be replaced as long as we have a job. I want to tell families to be mindful of their belongings, don’t leave anything plugged in, watch careful for any short circuits, anything at all. Because of one small mistake things can happen. We don’t know exactly what happened and when the investigators come they will say what occurred.”

Pott also urged others to be cautious, warning about the potential dangers of leaving electrical devices plugged in, which she believes may have caused the fire. The exact cause remains under investigation.