30

January

Brazilian Nightclub Fire (updated)

Brazilian police have arrested two members of the band that used the ill-fated pyrotechnics during a performance at a student nightclub where 237 people died in a fire and over a hundred were detained in hospital.

The band was performing at the overcrowded Kiss Club when the fire started early on Sunday morning in the southern city of Santa Maria. The nightclub’s co-owner has been detained by police over the blaze and Police have issued an arrest warrant for another owner of the club.

A Police Inspector said that the arrests were for investigative purposes and that the trio can be held for up to five days. Police said they think the pyrotechnics used by the band ignited sound insulation on the ceiling, and witnesses said a flare or firework lit by the musicians started the blaze.

There will, no doubt, be a lot of information to follow about this unfortunate and sad affair.

Update – about 150 nightclubs closed for fire safety concerns

More than 150 nightclubs, restaurants and bars in Brazil have been deemed to be unsafe and have now been closed by authorities.  The fire the club that killed 236 people has led to inspections of venues across the country. As a result, there are temporary closures in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, the capital, Brasilia, and many smaller cities.

After four days of inspections, authorities in Rio de Janeiro said that 199 of the 209 venues they inspected had irregularities. Of those, 127 have been temporarily shut and their owners given 30 days to make alterations.

Some clues as to what happened

Stage: Sparks from a pyrotechnic device (which was used by member of a band performing on the stage) is understood to have caused soundproofing foam in the ceiling to catch fire. The burning foam released toxic smoke. A band member later told local radio that a fire extinguisher handed to the band did not work.
Main club: As the fire got out of control, hundreds of mostly student revellers started to flee towards what they thought were the club’s exits. Some eyewitnesses later said many club-goers appeared to mistake doors leading to the toilets for the exit.
Toilets: Many of those who had entered the toilets were overcome by fumes. Firefighters later found dozens of bodies in the bathrooms.
Entrance/exit: According to survivors and to the police, a group of security guards briefly tried to block people from leaving the club (to ensure customers had paid their tab). However, it is also understood that once the guards realised how serious the fire was, they tried to help people get out.
Barrier outside of the club: A barrier outside the entrance also hindered people’s escape. As the scale of the fire became clear, volunteers helped firefighters break through the club’s wall in a bid to pull people free from the building.

Lessons to be learned

If you run a nightclub, or similar venue then there are many lessons to be learned.
Not least to ask the questions:
  • Should we allow the pyrotechics to be used?
  • If things go wrong, are we prepared?
  • Are we prepared to deal with a serious fire?
It is sad to realise that this is not the first fire of this type to have taken many lives. Over 100 people died following a fire at “The Station” nightclub in Rhode Island in 2003. The Station fire began right at the start of Great White’s set—the third of the night at the packed club—when a tour manager set off some pyro that immediately lit up acoustic foam that was, obviously, highly flammable.

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