The incident began around 3:45 AM on the ground floor of the building, affecting several floors and infrastructure. Residents recounted the distress experienced due to the swift advance of smoke, which blocked evacuation routes, preventing descent down the stairs in many cases. "The fire was coming out of the windows upwards, towards the houses, it was crazy. Horrible, horrible because I didn't know where it would end," explained one of the affected individuals. Another neighbor recounted having to go up to the roof with her parents and dog until rescued by the police.
The alarm quickly spread among residents, who left their homes "with only the clothes on their backs" due to the dense smoke, especially in the entrance hall. A witness described "tremendous noises, banging on doors, doorbells ringing, neighbors shouting that we had to run, run. We left with nothing and the smoke was already dense, especially in the entrance hall." The situation was critical for residents on the lower floors, such as the 94-year-old mother of one resident, who woke up "choking" from the smoke inside her house.
“"We have seen a couple of beams that are affected, they have weakened in some points and we are now shoring up this building."
During Friday morning, firefighters and municipal technicians inspected the building to assess its structural condition. Damage was detected in some beams, leading to shoring operations. Property owners were briefly allowed to enter to collect essential belongings and remove their vehicles from the garages.
The causes of the incident are still unknown. Some employees of the bazaar mentioned previous problems with the electrical supply. The owner of the establishment appeared "burned out" upon arriving in the morning to find the situation. Currently, residents are temporarily housed with family or in hotels covered by insurance, awaiting the completion of assessment and shoring work.
