One Killed, Four Hurt After Fire Breaks Out In São Paulo Residential Building Early Morning

São Paulo, Brazil— One woman was killed and four people injured early Saturday when fire ripped through a four-story residential building in the Vila Mariana district of São Paulo, filling stairwells with thick black smoke and forcing residents to flee onto balconies screaming for help. The fire started at 3:20 a.m.

The blaze began in a second-floor apartment, according to the Fire Department. The occupant, a 67-year-old woman living alone, died inside, likely from smoke inhalation. Her apartment was fully engulfed within minutes. Flames jumped to the third floor via the external electrical wiring shaft, a common flaw in older São Paulo buildings. Four others, including a 4-year-old child, were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and burns.

Neighbors said they smelled smoke before alarms sounded. There were no alarms. The building, built in 1978, has no central fire alarm, no sprinklers, and only one staircase. “We banged on doors. We shouted. Smoke was already down to the first floor,” said a resident of the third floor who carried his mother downstairs. “People were on balconies waving flashlights. Firefighters put ladders up.”

Vila Mariana is packed with aging apartment blocks converted from single-family homes. Electrical loads have tripled with air conditioners. Wiring is old. A fire inspector at the scene said preliminary evidence points to a short circuit in an overloaded power strip. He found charred extension cords daisy-chained behind a sofa. “This is what we see every week. Old buildings, new consumption, no inspection,” he said.

The building manager said the last electrical inspection was in 2019. Residents had complained about flickering lights. No action was taken. The condominium fund had no money for rewiring, he said. “We have 16 apartments. Half are behind on fees. We do what we can.”

Firefighters controlled the fire by 4:40 a.m. but stayed until 6 a.m. ventilating. Twelve apartments were damaged by smoke. Two were destroyed. Twenty residents were temporarily housed in a nearby church hall. The city’s housing department said it will assess structural damage before allowing re-entry.

São Paulo recorded 1,800 residential fires this year, up 12 percent. Most are electrical.

The victim’s body was taken to the IML.

The building remains sealed. The investigation is ongoing.