Two people died after a fire recorded during the early hours of Monday in Villa Esperanza de Pavas, San José, where the flames consumed two structures used as homes. The Benemérito Fire Department of Costa Rica initially confirmed the discovery of one victim inside one of the structures and maintained the search for a second person for several hours, who, according to family members and neighbors, was also inside the building. Subsequently, emergency crews confirmed the discovery of the second victim, bringing the death toll to two. The emergency occurred near the first roundabout of Villa Esperanza, where fire crews worked to control the fire and prevent the flames from spreading to other properties. According to information provided by firefighters, the fire affected approximately 400 square meters, while emergency teams managed to save an estimated area of 2,400 square meters. During the emergency response, rescue teams faced complex conditions due to the collapse of one of the homes and the large amount of objects stored inside the structure. Among the items found were furniture, machinery, bicycles, and other large objects, which hampered search efforts and required the use of specialized equipment to enter...
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The fire occurred during the early hours in Villa Esperanza de Pavas and affected two structures used as homes. Credit: Costa Rica Fire Department Two people died after a fire registered during the early hours of this Monday in Villa Esperanza de Pavas, San José, where the flames consumed two structures used as homes. The Benemérito Costa Rica Fire Department initially confirmed the discovery of one victim inside one of the structures and maintained for several hours the search for a second person who, according to family and neighbors, was also inside the building. Subsequently, emergency crews confirmed the discovery of the second victim, bringing the death toll to two. The emergency occurred near the first roundabout of Villa Esperanza, where fire crews worked to control the fire and prevent the flames from spreading to other properties. According to information provided by the Fire Department, the fire affected approximately 400 square meters, while emergency teams managed to save an estimated area of 2,400 square meters. The Fire Department confirmed the discovery of two people dead inside one of the structures affected by the fire. Credit: Costa Rica Fire Department During the emergency response, rescue teams faced complex conditions due to the collapse of one of the homes and the large amount of objects stored inside the structure. Among the items found were furniture, machinery, bicycles, and other large objects, which complicated the search efforts and required the use of specialized equipment to enter the site. Due to the conditions of the structure, the G-USAR Costa Rica Fire Department team joined the efforts to perform stabilization work and allow teams to safely enter the debris. The Canine Operational Unit also participated, with teams used to support the search for people among the remains of the house. The work was carried out in coordination with the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and with specialized fire investigation personnel from the Fire Department, who remained on site from the early stages of the emergency. The presence of investigators will help determine the circumstances under which the fire started and establish the causes that led the flames to spread through the structures. According to information provided by family and neighbors, an elderly person was inside one of the homes, and a 13-year-old minor was also reported present. The elderly person sought inside the debris, according to close sources, was involved in collecting and selling various equipment and items. The identities of the victims will need to be officially determined and confirmed through the appropriate procedures. The G-USAR team and the Canine Operational Unit participated in the search efforts among the debris. Credit: Costa Rica Fire Department The Pavas fire also increases the statistics of fatalities in fires in Costa Rica this year. According to data provided by the Fire Department, there have already been 648 structure fires in 2026. Additionally, the number of people who have lost their lives in such emergencies has risen to 15, considering the victims found in the Pavas fire. The figure reflects the severity of structural fires attended to by emergency services in the country and the importance of prevention efforts, especially in homes where large amounts of materials or stored objects exist. In the case of Pavas, the characteristics of the building forced emergency teams to take extra safety measures before entering the collapsed structure. The work of specialized teams allowed progress in the search for victims without unnecessarily exposing rescuers to an unstable structure. The collapse of the house and the large amount of stored objects hampered the victim search efforts. Credit: Costa Rica Fire Department The case is under investigation by judicial authorities and Fire Department specialists, who will need to determine the origin and circumstances surrounding the fire. The emergency once again highlights the risks associated with fires in residential structures and, particularly, with those buildings where the accumulation of objects can hinder both the evacuation of people and the entry of rescue teams.