People watch as smoke billows from a fire raging through warehouses of a samba school, where floats, costumes and props of the Rio Carnival are made and kept, in Samba City, Rio de Janeiro, February 7, 2011. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am has heaped praise on the "spirit" of Brazilians as they battle to restore costumes and floats for this year's Rio de Janeiro carnival after a fire destroyed the items.

A devastating blaze hit the City of Samba complex, where festival groups spend months preparing their spectacular annual parades, on Monday.

More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze as locals rallied around to save as much as they could, but many props were lost in the fire.

Helinho de Oliveira, the president of the Grande Rio samba school, revealed his group had seen 3,000 costumes destroyed, but he remained defiant, declaring: "The only thing that didn't burn was our desire to parade."

Rapper will.i.am, who has previously performed at the carnival, has vowed to attend the March event, and has praised the locals' attitude and determination to stage the extravaganza following the blaze.

In a series of posts on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Did fires destroy the floats and costumes for this years carnival???

"I can't wait to go to carnival... I love the brasilian (sic) spirit... nothing will stop the brasilian (sic) passion... 'Not even a fire' I love brasil (sic)."