Joelma Fire
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The Joelma fire occurred in the Joelma building, a 25 story building situated in downtown São Paulo. It is one of the most notable tragedies to have occurred in Brazil.
On the morning of February 1, 1974, during business hours, a short-circuit in an air-conditioner on the 12th floor ignited the fire. Almost all of the building was occuped by a single banking company, Banco Crefisul S/A. The large amounts of paper, electrical equipment and wooden walls contributed to the fire spreading rapidly. Most of the people attempted to escape upwards, due to the stairs being filled with smoke, in the hope of being rescued by helicopter, but Joelma did not have a heliport. Despite the bravery of the fire fighters, 18 people jumped to their deaths to escape from the fire or in failed attempts to reach to out-of-reach fire ladders. At the end the death toll reached 188.
It was the second serious fire in São Paulo in less than two years. The first one took place in 1972 in the Andraus building, also in downtown São Paulo, killing 16 people. After the Joelma fire, the legislation concerning the prevention of fire was updated.
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