Arson not suspected in Rio Carnival fire
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Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at the City of Samba in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro police say they do not think arson caused a fire that engulfed warehouses holding costumes, props and floats for the city’s famed Carnival parades.
But a police spokesman says Tuesday that an investigation into the blaze will continue.
The fire destroyed months of work and dreams of a Carnival championship for three samba groups. Losses for one group reached $5.5 million.
Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes is guaranteeing up to $890,000 in funding for the groups to assure the show goes on.
But recreating the huge, ornate floats that Carnival is famed for will be impossible before the parades start on March 6.
Rio’s Carnival attracts more than 700,000 tourists annually and pumps $500 million into the city’s economy.
