Brit mother, 54, tells of moment she 'smelled burning' while lying next to pool with her autistic son at Dominican Republic resort... only to turn and find it engulfed in flames

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER and ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:26, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 22:29, 22 June 2026 A British mother has revealed the 'terrifying' moment her Caribbean holiday turned into 'chaos' as she watched an eight-hour blaze destroy the hotel where she had been staying with her autistic son.  Viva Dominicus Beach Resort, in the Dominican Republic, was reduced to ash following a huge fire on Friday.  At around 11am the hotel descended into mayhem as nearly 2,000 people scrambled to safety - some pictured clutching their suitcases as they evacuated the area.  Tourists 'valiantly' attempted to tackle the blaze themselves by climbing on to the palm-thatched roofs armed with fire extinguishers before the 'one and only' fire truck arrived, with 'military-looking' helicopters later coming to the rescue.  The airborne emergency response lasted several hours as helicopters flew back and forth with huge buckets of water, refilling them in the ocean, until at least 7pm the same day.  British tourist Tracey Perry, 54, has now spoken of the carnage that ensued while she had been cooling off in the pool with her autistic son, Ben, 29.  Ms Perry, a civil servant from Farnham, told the Daily Mail: 'I was on holiday with my son when we were taking a dip in the infinity pool and I smelt burning, which freaked me out as I had been in a house fire before.  'I went to investigate and saw the roof of the reception building on fire. There were about 12 bungalows on fire, the buffet area was also on fire, it was an unwinnable battle. Moments before disaster: This photo of Tracey Perry, 54, and her son Ben, 29, was taken just a short time before Viva Dominicus Beach Resort went up in flames on Friday morning She had discovered the hotel reception area engulfed in flames after she went to investigate a burning smell This image shows tourists who were evacuated to a nearby beach as huge clouds of thick black smoke billow from the scene of the blaze 'The bungalows were two to three metres apart so there was no access for water vehicles to get there. One minute one was on fire, the next they all were. It was terrifying how quickly the bungalow roofs turned to ash.  'Later, helicopters were flying back and forth with buckets of water and that they were refilling from the sea.'  'In the space of around ten to 15 minutes, it went from sublime to ridiculous. Tourists were making a valiant effort, climbing onto the roof with fire extinguishers to tackle the fire. 'There were no alarms, just whistles. The staff were going door to door banging to make sure no one was inside. 'There was lots of screaming and people in tears. I saw some people carrying suitcases which was just stupid. I was defeated by that. 'It was complete chaos… There were around 1,700 people herded onto the beach. It was the busiest hotel I'd ever been to.  'When we were running for the beach I stopped momentarily as there were bits landing in my hair and my son grabbed me and said "come on" because he thought I had frozen. 'But I stopped to see what direction the wind was blowing so I could think about whether getting to the beach was the right plan.  A drone view shows a huge fire breaking out at the Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. The blaze killed one Italian woman Pictured: A holidaymaker, wearing only his swimming shorts and baseball cap, before he climbs onto the roof of a palm-thatched bungalow roof set alight in the terrifying blaze He is then seen putting out the flames, armed with a fire extinguisher, only moments later Another tourist picks up a fire extinguisher and tackles the flames on a separate bungalow at the hotel complex Tourists watch on as their hotel beach resort becomes engulfed in flames within 10 to 15 minutes of the fire breaking out On the other side of the beach, the extent of the blaze is visible as the smoke clouds get larger 'I've had enough disaster in my life to say you couldn't make it up. I got lost on a catamaran in a storm in Cuba a couple of years ago so I'm good in a crisis because I've dealt with a lot of crises, rather than panicking. But afterwards my adrenaline crashed and it was very emotional.' Footage of the inferno at the resort showed holidaymakers struggling with huge suitcases and bags on the beach as they attempt to escape with their belongings. Shocking video showed enormous plumes of smoke billowing into the sky as flames ripped through what appeared to be at least a dozen buildings on the resort grounds. Video shows fire crews dousing burning buildings with water, but the hosepipe is measly by comparison to the structure. Dozens of witnesses gathered around to watch the ensuing carnage as the hotel burned. Ms Perry said that because the roads were lined with cars, it was difficult for the 'one and only' fire engine to reach the resort.  Then, when it did reach the scene, the crew, with the help of guests, struggled to fight the fire as the bungalows were so close together.  She said: 'We could hear sirens in the distance but the authorities didn't have the resources to fight the fire, they couldn't respond because there were cars everywhere in the streets. Pictured: Guests' rooms are reduced to ash as flames smother the accommodation area The aftermath: This image shows the damage to some of the buildings following the fire The airborne emergency response lasted several hours as helicopters flew back and forth  Here, a helicopter is pictured refilling a hhuge bucket with sea water before returning to the scene of the blaze  'There was only one fire engine on site at the beginning, which looked like it came from the airport. They (the authorities) were set up to fail. It was extraordinary.'  The following day, Saturday, when Ms Perry and her son were due to fly home, the hotel reception was packed with guests hoping to be provided with information as tourists were handed emergency ration packs of rice and beans.  She told the Mail:  The day after it was like a refugee camp in the reception area. But we didn't grumble because a poor Italian woman was killed.  'I think it would have been very selfish to go to reception and express concerns when we knew someone had died.'  Ms Perry and her son had originally planned to go on a trip on the last day of their Caribbean holiday but had decided to relax by the pool when the tragedy, which has claimed the life of one person, an Italian woman, struck.  However the chaos continued for the British mother and her son as their flight home on Saturday was delayed by six hours after a nappy was found in the aircraft toilet, she said.  And their luggage remains at Punta Cana airport in the Dominican Republic. Luckily their belongings escaped damage in the blaze on Friday.   Earlier on Monday it was reported that an Italian woman had been killed in the blaze - with her cause of death confirmed as carbon monoxide.  Italian reality star Francesca Valentino, 46, is pictured with her husband in a Facebook photo. She died in the blaze at the resort Dozens of witnesses gathered around to watch the ensuing carnage as the hotel burned Italian news agency ANSA reported that reality star Francesca Valentino, 46, collapsed and lost consciousness after inhaling a heavy wave of smoke while attempting to evacuate to the beach.  She was transported to hospital by private car before she died. Three people were taken to medical facilities while six others, including guests, visitors and emergency responders, were treated at the scene. Many other holidaymakers escaped unharmed but lost their passports, money and personal belongings. According to the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center, the blaze spread quickly because of the flammable nature of sections of the palm-thatched roofs, combined with windy conditions. Hotel executive Amanda Santana said some tourists had lost their identity documents, including passports, and officials were coordinating with embassies to help affected visitors return home. The fire has since been brought under control, but investigators are still working to determine what caused the blaze and the exact circumstances surrounding Valentino's death. 'Preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature ​of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as ​well as wind conditions,' the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center (COE) said. The Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center said tourist activities in Bayahibe and the surrounding area continue as normal. A Foreign Office spokesman previously said: 'We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance to any British nationals affected.' 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