Trash and old furniture: see what the inns of a company that owns a pension that caught fire in Porto Alegre look like | Rio Grande do Sul

The guesthouse affected by the fire is from the Garoa chain

The place hit by a fire that killed 10 people in the early hours of Friday (26), in Porto Alegre, is part of a network called Pousada Garoa. With a hidden camera, The RBSTV entered other pensions maintained by the company.

Anyone who accesses the network’s website comes across simple, clean and well-furnished rooms. The highlight is the affordable cost, starting at R$550 per month. But, when entering the buildings, the reality is different.

One of the network’s guesthouses is on Rua José do Patrocínio, in the Cidade Baixa neighborhood. The furniture consists of an old mattress, which appears to be rotting, and a small closet. The smell is strong in the room. Almost in front of the bedroom door, there is trash in the hallway.

“Just give it a quick clean and it’ll be fine, but this is the room I currently have available,” says the attendant.

The vice-president of the RS Engineers Union (Senge), João Leal Vivian, examined the images. He believes that the property may have been a residence, converted into a boarding house.

“The adaptation or change of occupation of a building is very relevant in any fire safety project. It goes one way or the other”, he explains.

In another Garoa guesthouse, on Rua Júlio de Castilhos, in the Historic Center, the price of available rooms is higher, R$850. The room has a bed and a closet. There is no fire extinguisher in the floor corridor, although there is a support for the equipment.

“There is a lack of equipment there”, says the vice-president of Senge.

The Garoa network, which is private, receives people in socially vulnerable situations, with their stay paid for by public coffers. The company had a renewed contract with Porto Alegre City Hall in December 2023 for another 12 months, at a cost of R$2.7 million.

“As for the PPCI, it is up to the company that provides the service to provide it and it is up to the firefighters to decide on this topic”, says Mayor Sebastião Melo (MDB).

The owner of the company that owns the inn, André Luis Kologeski da Silva, claims that the property is regularized.

“We have the required documentation. All regularized. We will be sending it to the city hall”, he states.