07/09/2012 / BRAZIL
Fire burns through Sao Paulo's Sonia Ribeiro favela. Video filmed by our Observer.
All photos courtesy of our Observer.
Sao Paulo favela goes up in flames
Around 1,200 people in Brazil's largest city Sao Paulo were left homeless earlier this week after a fire raged through a slum on September 3, destroying everything in its path. Our Observer, who filmed the blaze, describes the tragedy and how it has impacted an already impoverished community.
According to the authorities, the fire in the city's Sonia Ribeiro favela, located in Sao Paulo’s southern neighbourhood of Campo Belo, was reported at around 3 p.m. The blaze destroyed a total of 200 homes, nearly two-thirds of the slum, which was home to an estimated 2,000 people.
As the fire rapidly burned through Sonia Ribeiro, aided by dry weather and strong winds, the slum’s residents were able to flee before their homes went up in flames. Many of the surrounding streets were forced to shut down, and approximately 20 fire trucks were deployed to the scene. It took firefighters until the early evening to get the blaze under control.
At least three people were hospitalised after suffering burns or smoke inhalation. In the wake of the incident, local media reported that the fire had started at an improvised dump in the heart of the favela, which lies only a kilometre (0.6 miles) from Congonhas Airport, one of the city's two major flight hubs.
Since the beginning of 2012, 32 fires have been reported in Sao Paulo’s favelas. In 2011, there were a total of 79.
Sonia Ribeiro is one of several Sao Paulo communities targeted by a planned urban renewal project, which will uproot the favela to make room for parks and recreation areas. Local authorities have promised to relocate families, but according to Sonia Ribeiro’s residents, there are not enough homes for everyone.
Contributors
“It’s the fifth time in 10 years that our favela has caught fire”
José Cicero de Lima, 38, works as a security guard and a computer technician. He has lived in the Sonia Ribeiro favela for 17 years.
The day of the fire I was at home. There was a strong burning smell. Outside a thick cloud of smoke filled the air. In just a few minutes, the smoke enveloped the entire favela. I quickly understood that the fire was serious. I went to go find my camera, and then ran to safety outdoors with several neighbours, because at that point the fire was spreading at a rapid pace. I then began filming as the flames wreaked havoc on the favela.
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When the firemen arrived a few minutes later, I put down my camera to go and help them. It took hours to put out the flames. Looking around afterwards, all we could see were scenes of destitution. Almost every home in the favela had burned to the ground; there was nothing left. By complete chance, my house was one of the few that was left untouched by the fire. But more than 200 families lost everything.
There’s no real place or system to deal with waste. People throw their rubbish wherever they want. The favela’s residents burn their trash on a regular basis. There are even some who melt down scrap metal to extract copper, which they then resell for a good price. All it takes is a gust of wind or an accident to spark a fire.
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Here, people live in ramshackle homes made out of sheets of recycled wood. Those whose houses were destroyed in the fire have been left with almost nothing, as you can see in the photos, and don’t know where else to go. Some have turned to loved ones who live in other favelas. The city has also set up temporary housing. But in the end, the majority of people have chosen to wait patiently on the side of the road until their homes can be rebuilt in the same place. It takes about 20 days to build a new house.
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There have been similar fires in Sao Paulo over the past few years, and each time, the local authorities say the same thing. They say that they’re going to help families who have been stranded, but in the end they do nothing. Instead, other makeshift homes are built over the wreckage. We’re used to it – it’s the fifth time in 10 years that our favela has caught fire.
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Post written with FRANCE 24 journalist Grégoire Remund.
Comments
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Favela fires
Submitted by marl (not verified) on Mon, 10/09/2012 - 08:12.Not clear. Are these fires being deliberately set to aid in the government's efforts to clear the favelas for the Olympics or are they accidental, as a result of the poor living conditions in the favela?
I had the same thought. I
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 12/09/2012 - 14:03.I had the same thought. I have a feeling that we will be seeing many more fires between now and 2016.
Reply to comment | The Observers
Submitted by Shonda (not verified) on Sat, 08/09/2012 - 21:03.Hello there, thanks for a very informative weblog, I really don't generally attach posts but enjoyed your blog thus thought I'd say thanks alot : ) -- Isobel
favela/bresil.
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 09/09/2012 - 20:53.i agree,tank you...