By Belize Live News Staff: An early morning fire on Sunday devastated two apartment buildings and a metal-framed garage on Sea Star Street in south San Pedro, raising suspicions of arson as investigators continue to probe its cause.
The fire began around 1:30 a.m., quickly engulfing a wooden apartment structure before spreading to an adjacent building and garage. Firefighters responded swiftly and managed to extinguish the flames, but not before the fire consumed the buildings, an Isuzu Rodeo SUV, and a motorcycle parked nearby. While no injuries were reported, the financial losses are extensive.
Initial investigations revealed the fire started in Room #4 of the first apartment building. The tenant, 40-year-old Fermin Witzil, reported hearing loud hissing noises from gas tanks in his downstairs room. Witzil, who was upstairs in his sister’s room at the time, rushed down to investigate. When he attempted to open the door, an explosion occurred, throwing him backward.
Witzil later re-entered the room and discovered multiple gas tanks with open valves, which he believes triggered the fire. Adding to the intrigue, Witzil reported that his worker, 40-year-old Belizean-Mexican national Angela Tun, had recently been living in his room and had allegedly made threats against other tenants.
Tun has been identified as a person of interest, but the exact cause of the fire h
