BRAZIL, Sr. M. Fatima Dotto. We thank God and our Mother, the Thrice Admirable Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt for their protection during the fire at our Province House.
We were caught unawares by a fire in the attic of our house. We left the house immediately and took our old and sick sisters to the Youth House. We waited anxiously for the firemen to arrive who, together with reinforcements from the Air Force Base in Sao Pedro, worked hard for three hours to extinguish the fire.
Neighbours, friends, workers and members of the Schoenstatt Movement offered us their solidarity by giving us special help. We thank God for all the solidarity shown to us during this difficult time with gratitude and pray for their intentions.
Source: www.tabormta.org
Article in the daily “Zero Hora”
The only way Sr. Matilde Mang (60) could think of to alert her community to the fire on the top floor of the house belonging to the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary early yesterday afternoon was by ringing the bells in the Retreat House.
The alarm worked and everyone was able to evacuate the house in time to prevent an even greater tragedy. Sr. Matilde and guard working at the center were the first to notice the smoke coming from the attic. About 60 Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary from Santa Maria and other towns were resting at the time of the fire.
“I was on the second floor when I smelt the smoke. I then rang the bell 30, 40 times so that they could all save themselves,” Sr. Matilde explained.
The fire destroyed the roof and everything that was kept in the attic, a storage area for the community. According to Sr. Rosequiel Lopes Favero (42), it contained lots of paper and boxes containing the clothes of the inhabitants.
According to the fire fighters, the fire was probably caused by a short circuit in the elevator engine or the water heating system. The rescue operation took an hour and 15 minutes. It could have been quicker, if it weren’t for the recurring problem experienced by the town’s fire station.
“We only have one fire truck, the others are undergoing repairs. The mechanical ladder experienced problems and the firefighter’s cage did not work. We had to call Sao Pedro do Sul air force base for a vehicle,” recounted Major Daniel da Silva Adriano, the station subcommander.
Source: Zero Hora
