A fire completely destroyed the historic Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges in central Paris during the early hours of Monday. The blaze broke out soon after 3 a.m. in the Marais district, gutting the premises. While firefighters eventually brought the fire under control by morning, the site has been severely damaged. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Opened in 1615, the market is the oldest surviving covered food market in the French capital and is a listed building. It had previously escaped demolition in the 1980s. A vibrant produce hall and popular street food venue, the market was a fixture for chefs, cooks, locals, and tourists. Its name is derived from the red outfits worn by orphans at a nearby hospital until 1772.
Ariel Weil, the central Paris mayor, stated that the market was totally destroyed, though he noted that the worst was avoided as the fire did not spread to surrounding buildings. Expressing the collective grief over the loss of the landmark, Weil said there is a lot of emotion and sadness.