The Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJRJ) ordered this Wednesday (15) the closure of the Uruguaiana camelódromo, a popular commerce hub in the center of the capital of Rio de Janeiro that suffered a fire last weekend. The decision highlights the need for adjustments until the facilities follow fire prevention and control standards. The measure was signed by judge Daniel Calafate Brito, in response to a request made by the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ).
According to the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department, there have been pending issues regarding the regularization of the camelódromo since 2020 and part of the facilities would be unable to operate. For five years, MPRJ has been trying to legally close the site through a public civil action. The first request was considered and denied in November 2023. An appeal was filed and rejected in May 2024.
This Tuesday (14), the MPRJ presented a new petition insisting on the request, which was finally granted. In addition to accepting the request, judge Daniel Calafate Brito established that, if the determination is not complied with, the Association of Merchants and Street Vendors of the City Center of Rio de Janeiro (ACAC-RJ) and the Association of Merchants of the Popular Market of Uruguaiana (AMPU ) must face a daily fine of R$50,000. The decision points out that the two entities, which represent retailers who occupy the stalls at the camelódromo, failed to comply with the Fire Department’s requirements.
“The case of Mercado da Uruguaiana only did not take on greater proportions due to the finding that the fire occurred on a Sunday, a day with little local movement”, says an excerpt from the decision. According to the magistrate, the lack of action by ACAC-RJ and AMPU in adapting the location caused severe damage to the traders themselves.
The fire started on Sunday morning (12) and, as a result of the episode, the Municipal Civil Defense had already the camelódromo is closed indefinitely. There were no victims, but the fight against the flames mobilized more than 60 firefighters from 10 different fire stations. The Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio) diverted traffic. The Municipal Urban Cleaning Company (Comlurb) and the energy services concessionaire Light also sent teams to the site.
On social media, residents shared images of the flames and smoke, which were seen from different parts of the city. The causes of the fire are being investigated by the Civil Police. The Uruguaiana camelódromo stores sell a wide variety of products, such as cell phones and other electronic equipment, stationery and party items, clothes, shoes and food. The affected boxes are located at the intersection of Rua dos Andradas and Rua Senhor dos Passos, close to the entrance to the metro station, which was closed as a precaution until the end of the day.
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, who went to the shopping center on Sunday to monitor the situation, promised to renovate the place and support retailers. He cited as a reference the recovery work carried out at Mercadão de Madureira, a commercial center in the north of the capital of Rio de Janeiro that was devastated in a fire in 2000.
“I’ve already told the traders who unfortunately lost their business that we’re going to help. We’re going to rebuild. So everyone here can rest assured. But I hope to be able to do this in a more organized way, with a better structure. I think there’s a beautiful example in the city of Rio, which is Mercadão de Madureira. It also caught fire there, it was a bit of a mess like here and it has now been completely restored.
