Rio de Janeiro - A thread of smoke was still streaming from the charred warehouses of three major samba groups on Tuesday even as workers salvaged what they could of floats and costumes so they can put on some sort of a show before millions celebrating Rio de Janeiro's famed Carnival in less than a month.
Rio police said they do not believe arson caused the blaze on Monday that consumed thousands of costumes, sculptures and floats built for the festival, but a police spokesperson said investigators are still trying to determine what set off the flames.
Devastated Carnival group members in the meantime scrambled to make plans for the best show possible.
“The group is in mourning, but we are going to build our Carnival up again,” said Cahe Rodrigues, the theme developer for Grande Rio, the group hardest hit by the fire. “All of the members will be dressed up. No one will be left out.”
Grande Rio's losses alone were estimated at $5.5-million.
The city's mayor, Eduardo Paes, guaranteed up to $890 000 in funding to help the recovery effort. With 28 days left before the parade, the biggest fight is against time, Rodrigues said.
The Independent League of Samba Groups that organises Carnival competition has promised to set up tents for the burned-out groups, and the unaffected groups have promised to lend labour, spare parts and machinery.
On Tuesday, the groups were scouring the city for additional materials - plastic foam, sequins, feathers, resin, paint - to rebuild as much as possible, said Grande Rio spokesperson Avelino Ribeiro.
Rio's Carnival attracts more than 700 000 tourists annually and pumps $500-million into the city's economy.
Although the vast majority of revellers celebrate Carnival on the streets, dancing and drinking behind bands that meander Rio's neighbourhoods, the celebration culminates with the competitive parades - elaborate shows put on by Rio's poorest neighbourhoods and watched by tens of millions of Brazilian on television.
Every year, each group chooses a theme and tells a story through song and through the intricate designs of costumes and floats. The top three are chosen in a hotly contested election by judges as fans follow from the bleachers or on television. The lowest ranked group drops to the secondary league.
The samba association announced after a Monday night meeting the three damaged groups would not be judged this year, and no association would be knocked into the lower league. - Sapa-AP