March 18--The cause of an extra-alarm fire that destroyed a two-block-long flea market on the West Side earlier this month was accidental and was likely started by an "electrical issue" in a vendor's booth, according to a report released Thursday.
The report into the March 8 fire at the Buyers Flea Market, 4545 W. Division St. in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood, was compiled by the Chicago Fire Department's Office of Fire Investigation, the Chicago Police Department's Bomb and Arson Unit and the National Response Team of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to investigators, the fire likely began in a vendor's booth in the south portion of the market known as the "outdoor section."
They ruled out arson, citing witness statements, computer reconstruction and video footage from multiple security cameras that were continually recording "almost every area of the facility," according to the report.
Fire officials said the owner of the property plans to rebuild the facility. They said the Chicago Department of Buildings and the Chicago Fire Department will oversee the work to ensure the new facility meets building and fire safety codes.
No one was injured in the fire, though firefighters rescued a woman from inside the building, officials said. Authorities said more than 180 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.
Officials said a host of experts, investigators and structural engineers were called in to pinpoint the cause and origin of the blaze that caused more than $16 million in damage.
In addition to fire investigators and a mobile laboratory to test debris, officials said the ATF brought in explosives and forensics experts, along with accelerant-detecting dogs.
Police and fire officials earlier said the sheer size of the 300-by-600-foot structure, along with more than 100 cars still inside and a partially collapsed roof, presented complications that would have stretched the resources of local authorities.
