Structural fire destroys at least 150 homes in Guararí, Heredia

A Wednesday morning fire in Guararí, Heredia, destroyed the homes of at least 530 people, according to Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission (CNE).

Approximately 150 buildings were destroyed or significantly damaged in the blaze, which began at 2:38 a.m. on Wednesday. Official sources have not announced a cause for the fire, to which more than 100 firefighters responded.

No one was killed in the overnight incident, the Costa Rican Firefighters Corps said.

The fire had an impact of about 3,500 square meters, making it the largest structural fire in Costa Rica since a November 2016 incident in the León XIII district of Tibás, during which six people died.

The Costa Rican Red Cross said it provided medical support Wednesday to nearly three dozen people affected by the fire. Five people, including two firefighters, were transported to hospitals for further care.

In conjunction with the CNE, the Red Cross is accepting donations of household essentials at its Heredia offices that will benefit families impacted by the Guararí fire. For a list of what can be donated, click here.

In 2020, Costa Rica’s Firefighters Corps has responded to 900 fire emergencies, of which 63 have been structural fires.