Joelma Fire

The Joelma fire occurred in the Joelma building, a 25 storey building situated in downtown São Paulo. It is one of the most notable tragedies to have ocurred 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. The large amounts of paper, electrical equipment and wooden walls contributed to the fire spread 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, some 20 people jumped to their deaths to escape from the fire or in failed attempts to attach themselves 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 and killed 18. After the Joelma fire, the legislation concerning the prevention of fire was updated.