Fire devastates Paris’s Marché des Enfants Rouges

A fire devastated the Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered food market, on October 12, leaving its covered structure extensively damaged and part of its metal frame collapsed. Paris Centre Mayor Ariel Weil said the blaze was under control and the market was totally devastated. The Paris Fire Brigade said the fire engulfed the market’s 1,000-square-metre covered area. The brigade reported that the metal structure partially collapsed as the fire spread through the site in Paris’s 3rd arrondissement. The market’s stalls and building were extensively damaged. About 150 firefighters and 50 emergency vehicles were deployed, according to reports. The brigade said nine hoses, including two high-powered hoses, were used to bring the fire under control. Reports said there were no civilian deaths and that one firefighter needed medical attention after experiencing a medical issue during the response. The fire was reported in the early hours of October 12. Accounts differed on the precise time it began, with reports placing the outbreak at about 3 a.m. or around an hour before firefighters began battling it at approximately 4:15 a.m.