by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Dec. 5, 2023
A fire that broke out in the St. Martin De Porres area of Belize City may have been the cause of the death of an 82-year-old man whose body was found in his burnt home after a blaze in the early hours of Tuesday morning, December 5.
Initial reports indicated that around 3:00 a.m. that Tuesday, firefighters were deployed to the residence of William Watson, Jr., 82, at the corner of Banak and Zericote Streets after it was reported that the upper wooden portion of his two-story home, where he lived alone, was in flames.
It was confirmed by Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor of the National Fire Service, to local reporters, that the blaze was caused by an overheating television inside the living room, and that Watson died while sleeping on the couch, approximately 6 feet away.
“The fire is concluded to have been as a result of an electrical flaw whereby the television set that was used as a means of entertainment had overheated and created the fire,” he said. “Watson was in a living room area near the sofa on his back. We are waiting for confirmation from the Police Department forensic team to ascertain whether Mr. Watson died as a result of the fire or he died [before] the fire,” Mortis added.
Mortis mentioned to the media that the lower portion of the home, which was made of cement, sustained water, fire, and heat damage.
After authorities managed to extinguish the flames after 5:00 a.m., Watson’s burnt body was removed from the scene.
The flames burnt the right side of the home facing Zericote Street.
A similar incident occurred last year when an elderly woman, who resided alone, perished in her home due to a fire. Mortis recounted the situation and urged family members of elderly ones to be vigilant in the care of their elders.
“It seems to be a trend whereby senior citizens are left in a building without having nobody close by to monitor them per se. It takes me back to the Fabers Road incident, and now we have this one here on Banak Street. That is something that I keep stressing. Families need to look carefully in terms of who do I leave in the care of [their] elders, how far do I go to leave them by themselves so to speak – and I’m not saying this in any way to sound like if we’re pointing fingers here – It’s just the right thing to do,” he said.
Mortis further mentioned that families should consider the use of smoke alarms if they decide to leave their elders alone.
Watson’s home was insured with Home Protector Insurance for an undisclosed amount, said Mortis.
As Mortis explained, a cause of death has yet to be determined through a post-mortem examination.