Fire destroys Paris's oldest covered food market, the Marché des Enfants-Rouges

The fire overnight

The fire broke out in the night of Sunday 11 to Monday 12 October at the Marché des Enfants-Rouges, a covered food market in the Marais district of Paris's 3rd arrondissement. Firefighters received the alarm at 4:15 am on Monday, and Lieutenant Colonel Pierre de Bouvier of the Paris fire brigade said the flames were already fully developed when crews arrived, with the whole market covered inside. About 1,000 square metres were destroyed, and part of the market's metal structure collapsed inside. Around 150 firefighters and about fifty vehicles were mobilised to fight the blaze, which was brought under control on Monday. Crews were still securing the weakened metal framework and dousing charred sheeting later that day.

Casualties and damage

One firefighter reported feeling unwell, and de Bouvier said no other victims had been recorded. Officials said the fire destroyed 17 stalls, while Mayor Ariel Weil, who leads the central Paris district, wrote that about twenty traders had lost their stalls. Weil said the worst had been avoided and that the fire did not spread to other buildings. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire gave a different account of the neighbouring buildings, saying they suffered minor damage that firefighters were able to secure. Residents living around the market were evacuated before firefighters arrived, and the origin of the blaze is still unknown.

The market and its history

The market opened in 1615 and is the oldest covered food market in Paris. It has been classified as a monument since 1982. Its name comes from the red clothing worn by orphans taken in by a hospital founded nearby in 1536 by Margaret of Navarre, sister of Francis I. The hospital closed in 1772, and the market was named in memory of these 'red children' at the end of the 18th century. The market offered restaurants, gourmet traders and dishes from the Caribbean, North Africa and the Levant in a street-food atmosphere. The Food & Wine Awards placed it among the 12 best food markets in the world, and AFP reported that the magazine ranked it fifth in the world for street food.

Traders and reaction

Weil described the market as devastated and said the mood was one of much emotion and pain, but also of relief that the worst had been avoided. Many traders had been in place for more than 20 years, and they are struggling to take in the loss. A former restaurateur at the market said the loss was shocking, because a whole story was ending and would have to be started again. A resident who has lived above the market for 16 years said the fire was something they never expected, and described the market as the soul of the neighbourhood.

Cyberattack on French supermarkets

Refrigeration failed at dozens of French supermarkets on Monday, spoiling a range of fresh and frozen food. Dominique Schelcher, head of the Coopérative U chain, described the incident as a cyberattack. About 150 stores of U, Intermarché and E.Leclerc were affected. The reports do not connect the supermarket incident to the market fire, which happened the same day.