Two-Storey Belize City Home Destroyed by Fire

Fire officials are investigating the cause of a blaze that destroyed a two-storey house at the corner of Police Street and Complex Avenue in Belize City yesterday afternoon.  Police responded to the scene shortly after 3:15 p.m. and found the green, 24-by-30-foot building fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters, led by Sub-Station Officer Tyron Budd, worked to bring the blaze under control.  Initial investigations indicate that 66-year-old Alonzo Robert Velasquez occupied the lower flat. He reportedly secured the residence before leaving earlier in the day. The upper flat was rented by 41-year-old sales clerk Shannone Melissa Broaster, who told investigators she secured her home at around seven o’clock yesterday morning before leaving for work.  Both occupants were informed at approximately three o’clock that the building was on fire. No injuries were reported, but the value of the property and the full extent of the damage have not yet been determined.