Historic Paris Market Burned Down Completely Overnight

Paris woke to a nightmare on Monday morning as its oldest covered food market burned down completely. The historic Marche Couvert des Enfants Rouges in the Haut Marais district has stood since 1615, yet it vanished into ash overnight.

Lieutenant Colonel Pierre de Bouvier arrived at the scene in the early hours and delivered grim news to reporters standing nearby. 'Nothing remains of the covered market,' he stated flatly. He noted that the metal frame inside had partially collapsed under the heat.

Ariel Weil, mayor of the central Paris district, watched the smoke rise into the night sky before declaring the fire contained. 'The worst has been avoided,' Weil said calmly. 'No neighbouring buildings have been affected.' He expressed relief that the blaze did not spread beyond the market's walls.

Inside, approximately 150 firefighters battled the inferno while one sufferer received minor injuries for their troubles. A massive tower of smoke billowed upward, marking the destruction in the heart of the city. Emergency calls came in at 4:15am this morning, and authorities are still searching for a cause.

This market was founded under King Louis XIII long ago. It took its name from red outfits worn by orphans at a nearby hospital until 1772. Following that closure, the space honored their memory with its current title. At first, it housed a well, butchers' stalls, and a stable delivering fresh milk to Parisians.

Listed as a historic monument in 1982, the site narrowly escaped becoming a multi-storey car park during the 1990s. After six years of restoration work, officials reopened the new market in 2000. Today, restaurateurs, dairy vendors, caterers, florists, and wine merchants sell their goods to locals and tourists alike.

Just this year, American magazine Food & Wine ranked it fifth worldwide for street food, placing it behind London's Borough Market and Bangkok's Chatuchak Market. The loss strikes hard at a place that defined the plush Haut Marais district.