Fire in favela leaves a thousand people homeless.
Families accepted mattresses and food supplies, but most refused to go to municipal shelters; the fire in the Jaguar favela, in São Paulo, started on Saturday night and lasted until Sunday morning; the causes have not yet been determined.
Around a thousand residents of the Jaguaré favela in São Paulo, which was completely destroyed after a fire that occurred early Saturday evening, are now homeless. Most had to seek refuge in the homes of relatives and friends, according to Civil Defense. The 220 families affected by the fire received mattresses and basic food supplies, but declined to go to the shelters offered by the city.
According to the sub-mayor of Lapa, Carlos Fernandes, all residents were already registered in a housing program and would begin receiving rent assistance. In an interview with CBN radio, Fernandes stated that the inhabitants of the communities should move into the housing complex that will be built on the site.
Support for the families is the responsibility of the municipal Housing and Social Assistance departments, which could not be reached for comment on the residents' situation. Agents are still at the scene of the fire, and the Civil Police are investigating the cause of the accident, likely caused by a short circuit, according to the Fire Department.
The fire started around 7 pm and destroyed approximately 200 homes, where about a thousand people lived, in an area of 5 km². The fire was brought under control around 11 pm. Two victims were taken to a local emergency room, one with smoke inhalation and the other with first-degree burns.