By Belize Live News Staff: A mid-morning fire in Flowers Bank Village completely destroyed a wooden elevated home on Thursday, November 27th, 2025. Police were alerted around 11:21 a.m. and upon arrival found the 20’ x 20’ wooden structure, raised about 10 feet off the ground, fully engulfed in flames.
Initial investigations reveal that the home belonged to 58-year-old Wilbert Budd, a Belizean taxi operator from the village. Budd told police he left home around 6:30 a.m., ensuring all electrical appliances were unplugged except for a refrigerator he had recently purchased second-hand, which he said was not functioning properly.
According to Budd, a fellow villager contacted him to warn that his house was on fire. He suspects the faulty refrigerator may have triggered the blaze. The home, valued at approximately $30,000, was completely destroyed and was not insured.
Fire personnel were notified but had not yet arrived on the scene at the time of the initial police report. Scenes of Crime technicians were also contacted and are expected to process and document the area. The official cause of the fire will be determined once the Fire Department completes its investigation.
