On Sunday February 5th, around 7 AM, the furniture manufacturer "Tuanis", located on route 160 in Playa Nosara, went completely up in flames.

Nosara volunteer firefighters were the first to reach the fire, using water from the pool at The Village Foods. They had the fire 80% controlled by the time Nicoya firefighters arrived. Ryan Bombard, firefighter of Nosara, said that flames reached as high as 20 feet.

The furniture manufacturing building was completely destroyed but the house on the same property stayed intact.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Bombard said a broken power line inside the property might have touched the ground and the fire could have spread quickly due to sawdust spread on the floor and the dry weather.

Monika Thiel, a neighbor of the manufacturer, said that she saw as fire started on one side of the property adjacent to the route, and quickly expanded to a pile of wood, then she heard an explosion.

The owner, Gerrit Duivenvoorden also known as "Tuanis", believed that the fire was started by someone. "Somebody started the fire as a joke, its impossible that it burned like that without gasoline", said Duivenvoorden, originally from Holland but who has lived in Nosara for more than 20 years.

Fortunately, Nosara firefighters were able to control the fire preventing it from spreading to the woods behind the property, which would have been a disaster for nearby buildings. "If we didn’t control it like we did, it could have been catastrophic for businesses and houses in the area”, said Bombard.
Although a friend of Duivenvoorden was sleeping in the house behind the manufacturer, he sustained no injuries of any kind.

The firefighters of Nosara are an organization of volunteers created a year and a half ago. If you want to help by donating money or volunteering your time, you can call 8919-1844.

More Regional News

Fire in the Nosara River Mouth Was Controlled by Firefighters

On Wednesday, February 22, residents of the Nosara river mouth were surprised when they saw a fire coming between the bank of the river and the bushes. The fire was the result of a bonfire left the night before, and it took Nosara’s volunteer fire brigade two hours to extinguish it.

Water Outages in the American Project to Continue through February

Periodic extended water outages may last another ten days throughout the American Project while the Asada, or water system, struggles with sputtering wells, budgetary, maintenance and personnel issues.

Motorcyclist Taken to Hospital after Accident in Barco Quebrado

William Garita Jimenez of Barco Quebrado was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Nicoya on Wednesday morning, February 15th after being hit by a truck.

OIJ Investigate Cause of Tuanis Fire

On Tuesday February 7, agents of the OIJ (Judicial Police) from San Jose were at “Tuanis” furniture manufacturer, which was burnt to the ground last Sunday, looking for evidence to determine if the fire had been intentionally set.

New Law Looks to Organize Market in Liquor Licenses
• Municipalities Will Benefit

When it comes to profits from the sale of liquor, both the owner of the bar and the owner of the liquor license that the bar utilizes can take a big slice of the pie. But only 300 colones per year of the liquor license use tax goes to the municipality Why? Because the law that regulates these licenses dates back to 1936.

Better Late Than Never: The Montaña River Will Finally Have a Bridge

After Nosara and Ostional residents endlessly requested that the Government build a bridge over the Montaña River, it has finally become a reality. Since January 9th, machinery has been hard at work with breaking ground and opening the space needed to access the Bailey bridge.

Nicoya, Nosara and Samara Plan Projects for 2012 National Budget

Two motorcycles for the Public Force of Nosara, computers for schools in the district of Samara and new sidewalks for the park in Nicoya are the projects that have been selected for investing funds from the National Budget of Specific Items for 2012.

Danger at Samara Intersection
Bus Stop Locations Create Hazard for Drivers and Pedestrians

If someone isn't paying attention and using the proper caution, an accident could easily occur at the main intersection entering Samara, especially when buses are present, reducing visibility of oncoming traffic.

Municipal Power Struggle Hinders Budget for 2012

The Municipality will likely have to work with an adjusted version of the 2011 budget this year, according to Municipal Code article 98, since the 2012 budget was not approved by the General Controller of the Republic (CGR) due to issues with the proper approval procedure.