Porto Alegre Downtown Fire Contained, Hotspots Persist as Enem Venue Assessment Begins

Overview

• The blaze began Wednesday in a Christmas-goods store on Rua Marechal Floriano and spread to a neighboring shoe shop housed in 1884 buildings, accelerated by abundant combustible material.
• By Thursday midday, firefighters were still extinguishing residual hotspots and conducting overhaul operations in the Centro Histórico area.
• The Civil Police opened an inquiry and a forensic examination will determine the origin of the fire once the scene is fully released.
• A neighboring building slated to host Enem exams, the Phoenix Building, was affected, and Inep said it is re-evaluating the site with possible relocation within the municipality per exam rules.
• Health officials triaged at least 23 people with mostly mild symptoms and reported all were discharged, while the EPTC maintained street closures and bus terminal adjustments near Praça XV.