A large fire has broken out near the LATAM maintenance center at Mário Pereira Lopes Airport (QSC) in São Carlos, Brazil.
On September 12, 2024, pictures and video footage of the incident were shared across social media, which showed how the fire had spread to several areas of the city, including the area surrounding QSC airport.
The fire started at 10:00 local time on September 11, 2024. It began in a dry vegetation area next to the LATAM maintenance center, located 249 kilometers on the Engenheiro Thales de Lorena Peixoto Júnior Highway SP-318, linking São Carlos to Ribeirão Preto.
A LATAM worker said the scene felt like a “war operation” with sirens echoing, many terrified people around, and constant coughing from the smoke.
The employee added: “The fire was very close, the firefighters did what they could, but the strong wind brought fireballs. Terrifying!”
All company employees have been moved out of the airport area for safety reasons.
Strong winds and dry vegetation intensified the fire, complicating the work of firefighting teams. In the afternoon of September 11, 2024, the fire grew stronger and spread to nearby rural properties around Água Vermelha, slowly reaching the area surrounding QSC.
Smoke from the fire caused SP-318 highway to be shut down. The highway was closed from 14:00 to 17:00 local time and stayed closed until 20:30.
The fire did not affect the aircraft or nearby buildings. However, it caused some flight delays at QSC. A cargo flight bound for Guarulhos and a private flight were both canceled due to the fires.
The Civil Defense of the state of São Paulo rented an aircraft to battle the fires. It delivered 1,200 liters of water to the LATAM runway. As of September 12, 2024, the firefighting efforts were successful, and there are no more fires near the airport.