On the morning of Thursday, 5 October 2017, Damião Soares dos Santos, a night watchman at daycare Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil Gente Inocente in Janaúba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, invaded a classroom where dozens of children between the ages of 3 and 7 were taking part in normal school activities.
Prior to the fire Damião Soares dos Santos, was dismissed from work after taking annual leave the month before for a health condition.
[19] Governor Fernando Pimentel decreed official mourning for three days and determined that all state security and health forces work in the care of victims and in the investigation, as well as the creation of an emergency command post in the city.
"[21] On 8 October Temer granted teacher Heley de Abreu Silva Batista, who died in the fire, the National Order of Merit.
In a statement, the Special Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic said that the title is awarded to "those who have given examples of dedication and service to the country and Brazilian society, [such as] teacher Heley Batista, who sacrified her own life to save the lives of her students, showing courage and heroism that have touched us all.
The federal government also released 8.7 million reais for the reconstruction of the burned-out daycare center and for the construction of two other educational institutions, one of which will be named after Professor Heley Batista.