Holbox, Quintana Roo — A fire that broke out at a hotel on Holbox Island spread to a neighboring home Saturday morning before being brought under control by volunteers and firefighters, authorities said.
The blaze started at the Villas Ponto hotel, a roughly 20-room property on Abasolo Street in the area known as Los San Manueles. Residents reported hearing a loud bang before seeing smoke and flames rise from the upper part of the building. Strong winds fueled the fire, causing it to quickly spread to an adjacent home, where it began consuming a thatched palapa.
Local residents rushed to the scene to try to extinguish the flames while hotel guests were evacuated. Police and firefighters soon arrived and joined the efforts, eventually managing to control the fire.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, though the initial explosion suggests it may have been triggered by a transformer blast. High temperatures and gusty winds contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.
The incident comes just two days after a mini-supermarket fire on another part of the island, highlighting the area’s vulnerability to fires during the hot season. Residents noted that despite past promises following previous fires, the long-awaited fire station on the island remains unfinished.
