Colégio Marista Santa Maria, in the city of Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul, was hit by a large fire on Friday night (26).
The fire started around 7pm. The Fire Department was called at 7:36 pm and fought the flames for 3 hours. There were no injuries. It is not yet known what caused the fire.
Colégio Marista Santa Maria, which is located in the central region of the municipality, is 120 years old and is one of the most traditional educational institutions in the city. For this reason, the fire generated great commotion among the local population. There are dozens of videos and demonstrations on social media, both from citizens and politicians, lamenting the accident.
The school management issued a statement stating that there was a fire in one of the unit’s buildings. “The Fire Department’s action was immediate, following all safety protocols. The place was empty at the time of the incident, and there were no injuries”, says the note.
According to the note, the causes of the fire and the extent of the damage are being investigated.
Santa Maria City Hall also spoke out and published a statement on social media. “The City of Santa Maria expresses its solidarity with the school community of Colégio Marista Santa Maria, hit by a fire this Friday (26). From the very beginning, the municipality’s teams were present at the scene, monitoring the incident and providing all necessary support.”
The statement also says that Mayor Rodrigo Decimo monitored the situation from the beginning, “maintaining direct contact with the response forces and determining the immediate mobilization of municipal structures”.
The Municipality’s Civil Defense responded by sending a water truck to help fight the flames and ensure safety in the area.
