Alpargatas, which claims to be the largest footwear and apparel company in Latin America and owner, among others, of the Havaianas brand, reported that a fire broke out in the early morning of Feb. 21, 2022, at one of its plants in the city of Santa Rita, in the Brazilian state of Paraíba. A YouTube video (below) shows heavy black smoke and flames rising from the building. So far, no casualties or injuries have been recorded, and the workforce has not been affected, although initially released from duty. According to a press release, the fire supposedly had no significant impact on the plant, which currently accounts for less than 3 percent of the company’s total annual production volume.

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