AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Fire Destroys Two Homes in Escalante Subdivision

Four perished in tragic fire that destroyed two houses early this morning in the Escalante Sub-division. Authorities from the San Pedro Police Department and Fire Officials are still in the area awaiting the arrival of a pathologist before they can retrieve the bodies. We will have more on this story.

San Pedro Sun

Tragic Fire Claims The Life Of Four

According to witnesses, the fire started at about 2:45 a.m. in a two-storey building belonging to David Nunez. The fire quickly engulfed his house and with the strong winds passed on to the adjadent house. Neighbors rushed to help in a bucket brigade and had exhausted all their water supply (from water wells in the neighborhood) when the Fire Department finally made its way to the scene at about 4:10 a.m.

The island community mourns along with a husband who lost his wife, son and daughter and a family relative in the fire. Officials are still on the scene working on retrieving the bodies from the all the rubble. More on this story as it becomes available.

Four Perish in Early Morning Fire in Escalante Subdivision

The San Pedro Town community is in mourning following the tragic death of four persons when a fire completely destroyed their home located in the Escalante Subdivision early on Tuesday, June 12th. Neighbors report that homeowner David Nu�ez and his son Samir Nu�ez who were badly injured, were able to make it out, but sadly his wife Clara Bacab-Nu�ez and son Allan Nu�ez (14) and daughter Mia Nu�ez (6), and niece Sherley Bacab (16) remained trapped inside the burning structure. Downstairs of the building, tenant Tracy Cruz managed to escape through the bathroom window with her two young children.

The fire also destroyed a nearby house where two persons escaped the blaze. According to the two individuals, they saw a golf cart engulfed in flames in front of the other building, and speculations are that the fire may have started from the electric golf cart that had been charging all night. However, Cruz believes that the fire began from the second floor above her. Around 2:30AM, she noticed smoke had started to enter her apartment, and she realized that the building was in flames. She immediately looked for her two children, ages two and four, and tried to get out. "When I tried to get out through the front door, the verandah on the second floor was already in flames and debris was falling down," said Cruz. "I went back inside as I feared something could fall on my babies." She said that the only escape route was through the bathroom window. Cruz broke the wooden louvers, and when she was getting ready to climb out the electricity went off. Cruz indicated that she noticed an injured Nu�ez and his son outside making attempts to run inside, but it was impossible to save anyone trapped on the second floor.

How!? Four Perish in House Fire

How could four people - three of them children - die in a house fire? That's what the town of San Pedro and all of Belize are asking tonight.

The tragedy happened last night on the southern part of the island town - and tonight fire authorities don't yet know what caused the fire. Daniel Ortiz went to the island looking for answers and found the imprint of loss everywhere:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
4 members of the Nunez-Bacab Family perished last night here at this home in the Escalante subdivision of San Pedro, about 3 to 4 miles south of the main downtown area.

It's the type of ghastly tragedy that no family would ever want to face, but this morning, there was nothing that these 4 victims could do to save themselves.

They have been identified to us as "Clarita Herodia Cobb", or "Clara Nunez" as she is also known, who's 30 years-old; her 6 year-old daughter, Natasha Mia Nunez; her 14 year-old son, Allan Nunez; and her niece, 15 year-old Sherlett Bacab. We understand that Bacab was visiting her aunt and uncle for the summer vacation, but tragedy struck.

At this time, the police and Fire Departments are investigating, and have not determined the cause of the fire, or the precise identities of the deceased.

What we understand however is that sometime before 3:00 this morning, all 6 members of the family were asleep, when Allan Nunez was awakened by the sound of some sort of explosion. He immediately alerted his dad, David Nunez, but by that time, the upper flat of their home was already engulfed in flames.

Supt. Henry Jemmoth - OC, San Pedro Police
"Three building had fire damages. We know that the main building and another house that was beside it was totally engulfed in flames. Everything was destroyed. Some of the persons managed to escape unhurt. We have 2 persons who have burn injuries and other injuries and 4 persons lost their lives here today."

Reporter
"Are the investigators here able to at least give police some idea as to how this fire started and spread?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth - OC, San Pedro Police
"At this time, the investigators are doing their preliminary work and we will give you an update as soon as they complete their investigation."

We are told David Nunez had to break a window, which he used to get his son, 16 year-old Samir Nunez, out of the burning house. He had to jump from the second floor to get to safety.

In the chaos of trying to get to the rest of his family, David Nunez suffered severe burns to different parts of the body, and smoke inhalation. In the end, he had to abandon his loved-ones to save himself by jumping out the same window. Nunez had to be airlifted to Belize City, and he is currently in a critical condition at the KHMH.

But, perhaps the most heart wrenching aspect of this tragedy is the slow painful death that his wife, his daughter, his son, and his niece suffered.

Sources tell us that the charred remains of all 4 victims were huddled in the far corner of the room where they burnt to death. Knowledgeable individuals believe this to mean that Clarita Cobb most likely tried to shield her baby, her son and her niece with her own body, her motherly instincts in overdrive all the way to her last breath.

Career cop Henry Jemmoth told the press that this is the first time that he had seen something like this on the job.

Reporter
"4 human beings perished in this fire. Have you ever seen anything like this before on the job?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"On my job, no. This is the first time I've seen 4 persons die in this magnitude of situation."

Reporter
"In terms of the 2 persons that got injured, but escaped - do you know what their conditions are?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"One, the doctor has classified his injuries as wounding and one has 3rd degree burns and is critical. Both persons have been flown out to Belize City at KHMH."

And even as the bad as this situation is, quite unbelievably, there was potential that more lives could have been lost here this morning.

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"Some persons have already been evacuated. Persons were evacuated from the lower flat of the building and the neighboring building. The main structure - that was the one that people couldn't get out, because then the steps were burnt. It had wooden steps."

This afternoon, the San Pedro Town Council, the Belize Red Cross' San Pedro Branch, and NEMO sent out a joint press release discussing what they're doing in response to this tragedy.

Their release says, quote, "Through the San Pedro Town Council, UNICEF will be providing psychosocial support to the affected families and the same support will also given to students from the San Pedro R. C. School and the San Pedro High School for their tragic loss of members of their school community as an initial response. After necessary assessments have taken place, the San Pedro Town Council will conduct an immediate clean up of the affected area.

NEMO will ensure that persons directly affected by the fire have access to immediate needs, including housing, while the Food Bank at Hope Haven is providing food.

The Belize Red Cross - San Pedro Branch will be hosting a radiothon and dollar drive on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 7:00 a.m. We encourage the community's participation in these activities to ensure that these families can recover from this severe loss." End quote.

And in memory of the loss of their student, Allan Nunez, the San Pedro High School made a facebook post informing those on the island that they intend to hold a candle light vigil this evening at 6, to give the faculty and the students opportunity to mourn his passing.

The candlelight vigil is currently underway at the Angel Nunez Auditorium.

No Cause of Fire Found Yet

Like we said, the cause of the fire is not known as this time. But there are many more, equally pressing issues which the Fire Department has to answer. First, they responded a good many minutes after the fire is reported to have started. Second, they ran out of water. Today the Station Officer explained that time gap, and how they ended up having to draw water from a pool:...

Reporter
"You said 3:30am you guys got the call and responded, but the fire started from 2:45am."

Orin Smith, Station Officer
"Again, the national fire service - we really won't know when a fire actually starts. Our time starts when we received that information of the fire and then based on that our response time begins. However, on the scene, based on what you just said, I am sure that by the time they arrive on the scene they couldn't have been a rescue mounted, if the fire had in deed started that long ahead."

Reporter
"Residents or people in that area say that that the fire truck came out there and dispense the water that it had and then it had to leave. They could not continue with the firefighting until later on. It was a bucket brigade that had to get in there and actually help with stopping another house from catching fire. Any comment to that? I think they just feel like you guys did not do all that you could have done."

Orin Smith, Station Officer
"There are 2 units in San Pedro, these units in compare to what we have here in Belize City, are pretty much small. The combined of both trucks I think has an approximate 700 gallons. Out of 700 gallons, you have at least just over two and a half minutes firefighting, before the trucks have to leave the scene to find water supply and that is what have occurred. The open-sourced which was the sea, was quite a bit a distance away and I understand although they were at the scene in the initial phase, they had to change because the relay pressure at the scene was poor. They had to relocate to utilized swimming pool to assist and eventually bring the fire under control."

"During the overhaul phase of the operation, we discovered 4 bodies that was said to be missing earlier. We understand that there were 2 others injured. It is never something we want to see happened. But it happens."

"I would advise that the Belizean public could be more pro-active in the sense of having working smoke detectors in the home. The investigation into the fire has not yet concluded. The officers are still on the scene looking into the cause of the fire. Some are saying that a golf cart was involved. Of course, I cannot confirm or deny that. We are still waiting the outcome of the investigation."

Reporter
"Is it the worst fire tragedy that we've ever come across? Remember the one in Belama many years ago? That was 7 [died]. So, this is not the worst? It's certainly one of the worst."

Orin Smith, Station Officer
"It's one of the worst. In fact, I would not like to see another repeat itself in this manner."

The cause of the fire will be known later this week.

Channel 7

Mother, Kids, Niece Trapped in Deadliest House Fire in a Decade

The San Pedro community has been left devastated by one of the most ferocious fires in the island and elsewhere in the country. The blaze erupted at about two-forty-five this morning at a two storey house in the Escalante subdivision.� The wooden upper flat of the house was completed gutted. Trapped inside was a family of four including a mother, her two school-aged children and the fourth person was her sixteen-year-old niece. �Her husband and a sixteen-year-old son escaped by jumping through a window. �Others who lived in two apartments in the concrete lower flat managed to get out unhurt. �The blaze swept through the house quickly and spread to two nearby buildings, but was contained.� This morning, the police went through the charred wreckage and pulled out the bodies of the family of four.� News Five's Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

The deadliest fire in over a decade occurred around two forty five this morning in San Pedro. Four persons perished inside the blaze. Clara Bacab, two of her children fourteen-year-old Allan Nunez and six-year-old Mia Nunez as well as her niece, sixteen-year-old Shirley Bacab were all trapped inside the upper flat of a wooden and concrete house in the Escalante subdivision of the island. �News Five understands that Shirley had just recently relocated to the island and has been living with the family for about a month. Residents converged in the area where the unthinkable happened and after eleven this morning, witnessed as the four remains, placed in body bags, were removed from the rubble and whisked away in the rear of the police mobile.� The Police say they were informed of the inferno thirty minutes later and phoned in to the fire service personnel on the island.

Supt. Henry Jemott, O.C., San Pedro Police

"Around 3:15 thereabout, the police were called to the area of Escalante in San Pedro Town. We received information of a house fire. Upon police making checks in the area, they noticed one building engulfed in fire and another almost engulfed as well. Police then called the fire department and they proceeded to the area of Escalante where they started to operate to extinguish the fire in the area."

Orin Smith, Station Manager, National Fire Service

"At approximately 3:30 a.m., the San Pedro Branch of the National Fire Service had received and responded to reports of a structural fire in the Escalante subdivision area of San Pedro Town. We had two units dispatched to that area. On arrival on scene, found were two structures engulfed in flames. During the overhaul phase of the operation, we discovered four bodies that were said to be missing earlier."

Supt. Henry Jemott

"Three buildings had fire damages; we know that the main building and another house that was beside was totally engulfed in flames, everything was destroyed. Some of the persons managed to escape unhurt; we have two persons who have burnt injuries and other injuries and four persons lost their lives here today."

Bacab's husband, David Nunez and their sixteen-year-old son, Samir Nunez narrowly escaped the deadly fire, but suffered various degree burns and smoke inhalation. They were airlifted to the K.H.M.H.

Supt. Henry Jemott

"One the doctor has classified his injuries as wounding and one has third degree burns and is critical. Both persons have been flown out to Belize City and are at K.H.M.H. hospital."

Reporter

"Sir when you guys got here, there was no opportunity to try and get out the remaining people?"

Supt. Henry Jemott

"Some persons were already evacuated from the lower flat of the building and the neighboring building. As you can see, the main structure that was the one that people couldn't get out because the steps were burnt; it had wooden steps."

Luigi Chable, his wife and their two children lived in one of the two apartments in the lower flat of the structure for the past two years; two others lived across from them. While all six managed to escape unhurt, they lost everything in the inferno.

Luigi Chable, Tenant

"I left at two in the morning and forty-five minutes after, my wife gave me a call that the house on the top is on fire. So I left work and when I reached to the house, the top was already burnt. Only my wife and the other guys that rent beside us were the ones that could come out of the apartment and the bigger son of the lady and her husband. The other rest stayed in the house, didn't manage to come out. Like four of them got trapped and unfortunately they died inside."

An adjacent wooden house occupied by a mute couple was also gutted by the blaze. That house was dangerously close to the home of Antonia Guerrero, who says that she was awaken by the crackling sound coming from outside her house.

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero, Neighbor

"I get to hear like popcorn and I just get up and I started to smell smoke and my baby says, "Tia, Tia what is this? Something is happening." And when I open the window, I just see everything was orange. And I see orange and I start to smell smoke. And I told her not to move and I just pack up my passport and fi she passport and I come out. And I only see the big house, Mister David house ina fire. So I tell her stay here and no move-because I bring the baby way yah-and I gone back because my nephew is mute and his wife is the same. So when I reach by the step I see the door open and they come out. He mi want go back and I tell him no, no, no."

Soon after, a bucket brigade got into action, using water from a nearby well to prevent other structures from catching fire.

There is speculation on what could have caused the fire. Residents on the ground today say that the blaze may have started from a golf cart that was left charging overnight. Tenant Luigi Chable does not believe that the golf cart started the fire and up to late this evening, firefighters were processing the scene to determine the official cause.

Luigi Chable

"They say that there was a spark on their golf cart because the golf carts are electric so they say there was a spark. Other people and saying that there were gunshots. I can’t really know, but what I get to know from my wife is that when she opened the door from the living room, the roof top was on fire. So she said all the verandah was on fire and the golf carts were not burnt. But when I arrived like three, three-fifteen in the morning, the golf cart was still intact, they were not burnt."

Orin Smith

"Some are saying that a golf cart was involved. Of course I cannot confirm or deny that; we are still awaiting the outcome of the actual investigation."

Firefighters Ran Out of Water; Single Stairs was Only Exit

As the hellish fire raged, the community formed a bucket brigade to assist the Fire Department to fight the uncontrolled blaze. The fire trucks ran out of water but another most disturbing factor that contributed to the loss of life was that there was only one flight of stairs to the upper flat. There was no other exit that the family could have used to escape from the crackling flames. News Five's Duane Moody has the reaction from the Fire Department.

Duane Moody, Reporting

The tragedy on San Pedro has many in disbelief that none of the four persons could have been saved from the inferno. Antonia Guerrero, who lives next door to the Nunez/Bacab family, says that David Nunez broke in a window in an attempt to save two of his children.

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero, Neighbor

"When I come out, I see the verandah mi done on fire and they just have one door and that was causing the problem that she don't know how to escape from there. David broke up the window and jump from the top, but my concern he gone in, but the smoke win him and he had to let go the little girl and he jumped from the window."

Duane Moody

"So he only escaped with one child?"

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero

"Yes. With Sammy."

Duane Moody

"So Allan and Mia were trapped inside?"

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero

"Yes with her mom and a lee niece."

That aside, Guerrero says that she was also concerned about her house and others in proximity to the billowing flames. A third house suffered damages to its side adjacent to the blaze, but fortunately was not completed gutted.

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero, Neighbor

"Fire engine just come and like ih come visit us; ih neva do nothing. The fire engine just stayed adorn right here; doesn't do anything."

Duane Moody

"So it didn't firefight any at all?"

Voice of: Antonia Guerrero

"They come, but they don't do anything. And so I tell them I got a big well there and nobody cared about the well until my nephew came and he said buckets and then they started to throw water on the thing and then the thing started to pop like gunshots, but it wasn't gunshots, it was the zinc."

Residents also say that the fire service was unprepared and quickly ran out of water. Brave bystanders got into action and formed a bucket brigade to help quell the inferno.

Luigi Chable, Tenant

"When I arrived, the firefighters were here and they tried to out off the fire, but they only did one pump and they left because there was no water. But all the neighbors they started to take out the bumps and they were the ones fighting more for the fire to calm down. It took like half an hour when the firefighters got back, but the house was gone; you can’t control it."

Station Manager at the National Fire Service, Orin Smith, says that the department responded when it received the call forty-five minutes after the blaze started. He, however, explains why the responding trucks ran out of water and the process of firefighting given the circumstances, beyond their control.

Orin Smith, Station Manager, National Fire Service

"There are two units in San Pedro. These units, compared to what we have in Belize City, are pretty much small. The combine of both trucks I think has an approximate seven hundred gallons. If you get on the scene and you use three lengths of hose, seventy millimeter by one hundred foot length, it takes thirty gallons to full one length of hose. That's ninety gallon. If you are using two branch pipe that discharge one hundred gallons per minute, that's two hundred and ninety gallons per minute being discharged. Out of seven hundred gallons, you have at least just over two and a half minutes of firefighting before the trucks had to leave the scene to find water supply and that is what occurred."

But did the home lack an egress? As you heard Guerrero say earlier, David Nunez had to break in a window to escape from the blaze and residents say there was only one flight of stairs to access the upper flat of the two-storey structure in which the four deceased were trapped. While the investigation will look at all these issues, Smith says that there is reason for concern.

Orin Smith

"I do know that yes we have a lot of structure in this country and I have even seen many in San Pedro where this one flight of stairs is. And even more concerning is the higher the building go, literally, they continue with that one flight of stairs being center place, which is not by any code standard and should not be by any code standard. It is a difficult thing to fix when they are already constructed and occupied, but new structures we can get a grip on to enforce a minimum of two exits per floor. Not closely related to each other, but in different sections of the building that when a fire incident occur, that one incident would not render both access to exits incapable at the same time."

Assistance Pouring in for Survivors

The response to the devastating fire has been fast as residents come together at this difficult time. The Town Council, Belize Red Cross San Pedro Branch and NEMO have all teamed up to assist the surviving fire victims. Four persons were killed, two injured and six others displaced when the structures they called home were gutted by the blaze. A joint release states that UNICEF will be providing psychosocial support to the affected families and students from the San Pedro R. C. School and the San Pedro High School where Mia and Allan Nunez attended. The San Pedro Town Council will conduct an immediate clean up of the affected area. NEMO will ensure that those affected will have access to needs and housing and the Food Bank at Hope Haven is providing sustenance. As it relates to the Belize Red Cross, the San Pedro Branch will be hosting a radiothon and dollar drive on June fifteenth starting at seven in the morning. Residents who wish to donate are asked to do so at account number: 67-014-016-101-012-0001, or drop off their donation at the Reef Radio studio.

Channel 5

SPHS Holds Vigil For Nunez Family

It was a sad day for faculty and students at the San Pedro High School as Allan Nunez, who perished in the fire, was a sophomore student. Students were scheduled to commence third term examinations and administration postponed exams for the day and are scheduled to continue tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13, 2018. Students at SPHS were given group and individual counseling with grief counselors and a pastor.

A vigil was held at the Angel Nunez Auditorium on Tuesday evening where students, staff and members of the community gathered to pay their respects to the Nunez family. San Pedro High mourned the death of a dear friend, a free spirited individual, an excellent student - Allan Nunez. The choir shared beautiful songs and friends and teachers remembered Allan and shared great stories and memories which they will cherish forever. "Allan and family - gone too soon but will not be forgotten."

Vigil in memory of the Nunez and Bacab family

Police suspect that tragic fire on San Pedro was caused by golf cart

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a fire in the Escalante subdivision area of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye claimed the life of 36-year-old Clarita Bacab, two of her children and her niece. Today the Police say the fire might have originated from a golf cart that was in the area.

Insp. Wilfredo Ferrufino, CIB, Belize City: "San Pedro Police visited an unnamed street in the Escalante Subdivision area of San Pedro Town. There on arrival they observed that a two storey building was under flames, the top being wooden and the bottom being concrete. The fire was eventually extinguished by the fire personnel however by the time that had occured the building was extensively damaged and four persons had perished in that fire. They were occupying the upper level of the building and they are a 36 year old mother, a 14 year old, a 15 year old and a 16 year old child. The lower level of the building was occupied by four other persons, they did not receive any injuries. Two other persons from the upper flat of the building Mr.David Nunez received injuries burns and is in a critical condition at the KHMH and a 16 year old who received burns to both his palms. What police has been made to understand at this point is that there was a golf cart being charged near the building and that golf cart somehow caught fire the battery exploded and the fire then spread to the steps of the building and then to the remainder of the building causing it to eventually become completely engulfed in flames."

Bacab's common-law husband, David Nunez and their son, Shamir Nunez managed to escape.

LOVEFM

San Pedro Community Comes Together For Victims

Of course, to get working hydrants, San Pedro would probably first have to solve a ballooning water shortage problem. So that's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

But, in the interim, they have lots of goodwill to get by on. Jules Vasquez saw today how the island is coming together to help the fire victims:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
The dollar drive on Middle Street outside Reef Radio in San Pedro seemed to be doing especially well today.

Inside, it looked even better.

Martin Dawson - Red Cross - San Pedro
"Well I would say this community is really united. When a disaster happens, everybody comes together and willing to help each other."

Hon. Manuel Junior Heredia - Belize Rural South - Area Rep.
"We have been known as very good with type of activity. San Pedro is very united, a very united community."

Reef Radio and TV has been providing the platform to unite the community:

Eiden Salzaar - Manager - Reef Radio
"We see people coming with 5 dollars, we see people coming in with 1 dollar, 2 dollars, and we see big business coming with a thousand, 2 thousand dollars donation. So, what you are seeing today is more a unity effort by the community of San Pedro."

Reporter
"Is there a target of funds that you all are trying to reach?"

Eiden Salzaar - Manager - Reef Radio
"We want as much as possible. We do not have a set target. We did not set a target because we feel that what transpired a few days ago has a lot of loss financial wise. So, we need to raise as much as needed and up to 10 o'clock it was a little over 15 thousand if I'm not mistaken."

And the victims need all the help they can get:

Martin Dawson - Red Cross - San Pedro
"There were three houses that were burnt and 6 different families. So, we have the information of all those people."

Hon. Manuel Junior Heredia - Belize Rural South - Area Rep.
"NEMO has done its part. This morning arrived 12 mattresses, stove, tanks, goodies and so forth. Our people have been extremely good in responding."

Eiden Salzaar - Manager - Reef Radio
"It doesn't matter how small or how big the donation is as long as it comes from the heart to the victims involved."

At the end of the day, the telethon raised $26,750.

Was San Pedro Fire Tragedy Preventable?

Could the four who perished in the San Pedro house fire have been saved if proper standards were in place?

First, the house had only one working entrance and exit; second, the area had no fire hydrants. Eventually the Fire truck had to draw water from a pool, while a power washer from a nearby hotel helped control the flames.

So was it a preventable tragedy? We spoke to the 4 term area representative about it:...

Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"Definitely I'm personally very shocked, my condolences to the family. To both families from the father and mother's side. I know them extremely well, I may go as far to say that they are strong supporters of myself. It was a real disaster and it was really sad, in particularly the way that they were found embraced together. Again, upon speaking with the mayor, we have to be a little more careful not only in the approval of plans but in making sure that when the house is completed we can go and verify that it has been done according to the approved plan. Unfortunately it has only one step and two doors, one of the doors, I understand when they hurricane was coming they had braces inside and it was impossible to open that one. That is where the very unfortunate death of these people happened."

Reporter
"The trucks were not capable to deal with the extent of the blaze."

Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"I will agree with you that the type of the equipment on the two types of trucks, the capacity of water that they can hold is minimal, 500 gallons. With the pressure that they have in a minute or two that's finished. It's better to get portable pumps and mount it on a trailer that you can immediately, if anything happens. I brought it to the attention of the cabinet and I am sure that very shortly we will see at least one or two of these nice portable pumps coming to the island."

Reporter
"This has been in the making since 2 years ago in the fire downtown where 14 structures were destroyed. NEMO and other agencies along with the government had promised that they would have put in hydrants across the town and that has not happened. It has been two years."

Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"One thing that I know is that area in particular doesn't have the portable water in that sub-division. I will lobby as strong as possible with the chairman of WASA to make sure we put portable water over that so that we can put the hydrants there."

Channel 7