The fire that hit a shopping mall in Brás, in the Central region of São Paulo, could cause the building to collapse, according to the Fire Department. The statement comes from the corporation’s spokesperson, Captain Maycon Cristo, who is at the scene fighting the flames this Wednesday morning (30).
“Right now anything can happen, it’s an 18,000 m² building. Fire can indeed cause this building to collapse,” he said.
According to the captain, the fire remains active and the authorities’ biggest concern is that the fire does not spread to neighboring buildings.
“We fought the fire at the edges so that it is confined. Our biggest concern is that the fire does not spread.”
He reported that almost the entire building was hit and that the fire possibly consumed all the stores. The Fire Department does not yet have the total number of projects within Shopping 25.
THE CNN obtained access to the shopping center’s Fire Department Inspection Report (AVCB). The certification that guarantees the safety of the establishment against fire is due since August.
The spokesperson also said that no one was inside the establishment when the fire started. He confirmed that there are no victims.
THE CNN captured an image of a flame in one of the corners of the building. When questioned, the soldier said he “doesn’t know what’s burning there”. The Fire Department still does not know how the fire started.
He reported that neighboring buildings were evacuated and that the fire did not reach any neighboring buildings.
According to the spokesperson, the region is supplied with piped gas, therefore, there should not be an external gas source that could cause an ignition. He also stated that the gas supply to the building has already been interrupted.
“As it is the end of the year, stocks should be full. So there is a lot of fire load, a lot of combustible material to burn”, explained the captain.
The spokesperson also said that the teams have not yet entered Shopping 25. “There is no security for professionals to enter the building.”
The fire
A large fire hit a shopping mall in Brás, central São Paulo, this Wednesday morning (30).
According to the Fire Department, a team was called at around 6:44 am, to Rua Barão de Ladário. In total, 17 vehicles were taken to the scene to fight the flames.
This is the second fire in the region in less than a week . Last Sunday (27), a fire broke out on the top floor of a commercial building on Rua Doutor João Alves de Lima.
Teams from the São Paulo Civil Defense, the Traffic Engineering Company (CET-SP), Enel SP and the Metropolitan Civil Guard (GCM) are also on site.
The origin of the fire and the exact extent of the damage to the building are not yet known.
This content was originally published in “Fire can cause a building to collapse”, says firefighter about fire in SP on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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