BELIZE CITY, Sun. Nov. 12, 2017 –Well-known Belize City welder, Yusuf Bilal, 64, owner of Bilal Welding, is without a home after a fire destroyed his 24‘ x 30’ lumber house on the Philip Goldson Highway at about 11:30 last night. The Belize City branch of the National Fire Service was able to contain the fire to the house, which is located near Scotia Bank Belize, opposite Benny’s Superstore, so no other structure nearby was damaged.

Present in the house at the time of the fire were Yusuf; his wife, Beatriz Bilal, 56; and their daughter Sadiya Bilal, 13. Sadiyyah escaped the fire unharmed, but Yusuf suffered minor burns on his body, and Beatrice suffered burns to the left side of her back and left palm.

All the belongings of the Bilal family were destroyed when the house went up in flames. The estimated loss to the family has not yet been ascertained. The house and its contents were not insured.

Yusuf Bilal told police that they were all in bed at about 11:30 last night when he was alerted by smoke and heat in the house. He got up to check, and saw smoke and fire coming from behind the refrigerator. The fire spread quickly throughout the house.

The local fire service and police were alerted. The best efforts of the firemen were insufficient to save the house. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.