Trial Farm House and Storage Units Destroyed in Afternoon Blaze

A house, a wooden house and several storage containers were destroyed by fire on Friday afternoon in Trial Farm, Orange Walk District.  At around twelve thirty, Police and Fire personnel were called out to San Narciso Street located just behind A-Mart Store.  Upon arrival they found a wooden structure completely engulfed in flames. 58-year-old laborer Juan Antonio Uk, the occupant of the home said he left to work on a nearby farm around 5 o’clock that morning, but shortly after midday, he received a phone call alerting him that his house was on fire. When he returned, he found his home completely destroyed and a 12-by-20-foot shed located in front of the house. Additionally, several storage containers were destroyed, belonging to 43-year-old Chinese businessman Jian Ping Hong, the owner of A-Mart Store.  According to the businessman, one of the containers, a 30-foot unit that held toilet paper, was completely destroyed. Another, a 40-foot container storing charcoal and cement, sustained partial damage. No cost estimate for the losses has been determined. Hong said one of his workers alerted him to the fire, but when he made checks, the area was already engulfed, prompting him to immediately call the fire department. He confirmed that the property was unoccupied at the time of the incident and that the merchandise and containers were all insured.