Roaring fire hits Sao Paulo slum, destroying 300 shacks; 10 people hurt

Roaring fire hits Sao Paulo slum

SAO PAULO — A fire has raged through a Brazilian slum, destroying more than 300 homes.

Residents of the Real Parque neighborhood in Sao Paulo were frantically using buckets of water in an attempt to douse the flames that burned through their houses — many little more than shacks. Firefighters arrived around noon Friday and it took three hours to control the blaze.

Fire officials say nobody died and only 10 people were hurt.

A cause has not been found.

Fires in Sao Paulo’s packed slums are common and are often caused by failures of power lines that are haphazardly strung throughout the areas as residents illegally tap into the energy grid to get free power.