RIO DE JANEIRO — Emergency crews rushed to contain a blaze that erupted Wednesday morning at the velodrome within Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park, with approximately 80 firefighters and 20 emergency vehicles responding to the scene, according to local authorities.
Officials from Rio state’s military fire department confirmed the flames were brought under control and remained mostly limited to the building’s fabric roofing material. No casualties have been documented, and the structure’s interior spaces — which house the Olympic Museum — escaped damage.
Investigators are working to determine what sparked this most recent fire, though the velodrome has experienced similar rooftop incidents before. The facility suffered two comparable fires back in 2017, with both blazes traced back to paper sky lanterns that had fallen onto the roof.
The velodrome gained international attention when it hosted track cycling competitions during Rio’s 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Today, the facility functions as the main training headquarters for Brazil’s national cycling and weightlifting squads.
