Raul’s Rose Garden, one of Belize’s most well-known brothels, caught fire at around 5 a.m. today, and at about 2 hours later, burned to the ground. The Garden, commonly referred to as “Ocho” due to its location at Mile 8 on the Northern Highway, was established about 30 years ago, and reputedly was worth approximately $500,000.
Raul Magaña, the owner and namesake of the establishment, told the media that he received a call at around 5 a.m. that a fire had started in the vicinity of one of the rooms that is near an office in the center of the building.
He said that the establishment had closed at around 3 p.m., so there was no one in the vicinity of the fire to explain why it started. He said that it was the security guard on duty, Keith McNab, who called the Fire Department.
According to Magaña, the firemen arrived about an hour later, but by that time, the blaze had already spread to most of the vulnerable areas. The firemen couldn’t save the building, and as a result, it was completely destroyed.
At this time, police and the Fire Department do not have a definite reason as to the cause of the fire, but the security guard suspects something electrical was the reason.
There was no one injured, but the damage to the building is serious enough that it will need rebuilding. Magaña puts the value of the establishment at around $500,000, and it was ensured with Home Protector Insurance Company. The police have said that while the building was insured, the contents were not.
Magaña has indicated that he may rebuild the establishment, but change the line of business.