Fire Destroys Cultural and Tourist Landmarks in the Pavão-Pavãozinho Favela, Between Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches in Rio de Janeiro

Fire causes destruction in Pavão-Pavãozinho and Cantagalo. Photo: João Victor Teodoro

On the morning of August 7, 2024, a fire struck Pavão, one of the favelas that make up the PPG Complex, which also includes the favelas of Pavãozinho and Cantagalo, located on a hillside that separates the beachfront neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro’s touristic South Zone. The flames destroyed a community library and a new viewpoint bar that had recently been added to the State tourism office’s route of recommended viewpoints. A thick gray cloud enveloped the favelas, leading some residents to seek medical attention at the Emergency Care Unit (UPA) after inhaling smoke.

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This article is part of a series created in partnership with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University, to produce articles for the Digital Brazil Project on environmental justice in the favelas for RioOnWatch.