New Yorkers Lorrie and Ricky so enjoyed discovering the Marché des Enfants Rouges (Red children’s market) a few days ago, that they decided to pay another visit to its celebrated food stalls before leaving the French capital. But when they approached the centuries-old venue on Monday morning, they were greeted by police cordons, fire trucks and a foul, acrid smell hanging over this picturesque neighbourhood in central Paris. Video footage on social media showed huge flames and billowing smoke rising above the venue, hemmed in between buildings on the northern edge of the Marais district popular with tourists.
More than 150 firefighters were mobilised to tackle the blaze. © Sarah Meyssonnier, After touring the site, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the market had been “completely destroyed”. He thanked firefighters who battled the blaze for over two hours– for ensuring that it did not spread to surrounding buildings in the densely populated area known for its cozy cafes and stylish boutiques. There were no casualties aside from a firefighter who suffered “minor injuries”, Grégoire told reporters.
It was the only consolation for shopkeepers huddled together on a sidewalk– many in tears as they listened to accounts of the devastation wrought by the flames. To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading.
To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: Fire ravages oldest covered food market in Paris © Bernard Géliot / UGC / / France 24 “We’re all a big family, and now we’ve been orphaned,” said Ahmed Ouaddi, whose Moroccan couscous stall had been a fixture of the market for decades. It owed its name to a nearby 16th-century orphanage whose young residents wore red clothing, a symbol of Christian charity at the time.
A buzzing hub for locals and tourists alike, the market offered fresh produce and specialties from around the world. The industry magazine Food & Wine ranked it fifth worldwide for street food this year, after other eating spots in London, Bangkok, Mexico City and France’s culinary capital – Lyon. To those nostalgic for the Paris of old, it provided a small taste of what the historic Les Halles, the city’s sprawling central market, was like before it was gutted and turned into a giant mall in the 1970s.
A large area around the market was cordoned off as firefighters worked to secure the site. © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24 In recent years, the Enfants Rouges had become too touristy – and pricey – for many Parisians, in step with the area’s rapid gentrification. But it remained “the heart and soul” of the neighbourhood, said Ouaddi. We all loved it and we’re all in shock today,” said local pharmacist Virginie Prulhière, still shaken from the blaze, her voice breaking as she gazed at the fire truck parked where her partner’s stall would normally be standing.
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