The Santa Catarina Military Fire Department (CBMSC) released this Wednesday (12) the results of an examination conducted at the Warung nightclub in Itajai, north coast of South Carolina, which caught fire on February 22. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire due to a lack of evidence that the item had ignited.

A fire destroyed the building of the Warung nightclub on Praia Brava. Photo: @marcokamers1/@itapemaemfotos/Personal Archive/ND

The fire broke out on the morning of February 22 at the Warung nightclub on Praia Brava in Itajai, world famous for its rides from the world of electronic music.

About 25 military firefighters took part in extinguishing the fire, and about 300,000 liters of water were used during the operation.

According to firefighters, data collection, site leveling and rubble excavation, as well as aerial photography carried out using a drone, lasted about 5 hours. Some materials related to the fire were collected for preliminary study.

The place had a residence permit from the fire department and was legalized. However, the preventive hydraulic system did not work during the incident.

The accident could have occurred due to the rapid spread of fire, which caused the collapse of the structure and, as a result, damage to the system.

The characteristics of the terrain also made it difficult for teams to deal directly with the flames.

The structure of the nightclub was built primarily of wood, with a roof of bituminous tiles and a synthetic polymer coating. This structure collapsed during the fire and was badly damaged. As a result, data collection was difficult.

According to the fire department, as a result of intense and prolonged burning of building materials, most of the evidence was lost.

The site structure was completely damaged – Photo: CBMSC/Reproduction/ND

At a later stage, when only a few outbreaks were controlled, after the flames had been suppressed, the location of the fire was saved so that data could be collected.

Signs found indicated that the fire must have started on the ground floor in an area called “Bar 5” where the refrigerator was located.

The report indicated that traces of melting were found on the electrical wiring, indicating that the electrical network remained energized during the fire. The refrigerator was analyzed in detail, its compressor was opened to see signs of fire, and it was determined that the fire did not start there.

After more than a month of work, the experts were unable to identify physical evidence confirming the presence of a flammable substance that could indicate the causes of the fire.

Two possible hypotheses were found: equipment failure or a thermoelectric phenomenon.

The fire department also stressed that no material traces indicating human voluntary action were found.