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ZZUNUSED
Flea market owner plans to rebuild
State and federal agencies begin their investigations Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, at the Milton Flea Market fire.
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MILTON -- The Milton Flea Market was still smoldering Thursday as investigators searched for clues to the cause of the fire that destroyed much of the complex the day before.
While they were doing that, flea market owner Boyd Meadows planned to meet with advisers to discuss a strategy to rebuild the eastern Cabell County landmark. It had room for at least 300 vendors who sold their wares on the weekends. It will be at least spring before any reopening can occur, Meadows said.
"You can't shed tears," he said. "Time has to go on. I'm just glad nobody got hurt, and the fire departments did the best they can. Those guys really fought a hot fire."
Meadows saw smoke coming from a vent as he passed by the flea market Wednesday morning. He immediately called 911. His heart sank as he watched the smoke spread into different areas of the complex. He didn't see flames for nearly 30 minutes.
Firefighters say the absence of partitions or sprinklers allowed flames to spread through the building like a chimney. The inferno found little resistance.
Meadows did not have an estimate of his total loss, and he was without any answers to explain the fire's cause. The last person who was scheduled to be in the facility was a janitor. He was scheduled to leave Sunday night.
Meadows' office is located within sight of the flea market. He never saw anything suspicious.
The state Fire Marshal's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating. Those officials were doing interviews Thursday. They were hoping to enter the remains of the structure Thursday afternoon, said assistant state fire marshal Reed Cook.
Natural gas and a limited amount of electricity was running to the building at the time of the fire, but Cook said investigators have not linked those factors to the cause. The interviews involve people who spotted the fire from U.S. Rt. 60 and other eyewitnesses. Investigators also are seeking first-hand accounts from the firefighters who battled the blaze.
The ATF contributed a large truck from its investigative unit. It is similar to one used when crews investigated the deadly Emmons apartment building fire in January 2007. Cook said the interviews and presence of extra resources should not give the impression that investigators believed the fire was criminal in nature. He said it is part of a routine investigation.
The loss of the flea market will have a significant effect on Milton's economy, Meadows and city officials said. Each weekend, the flea market attracted thousands of people who spent money at local gasoline stations, restaurants and other retailers.
Meadows said he was not fully insured. He lost merchandise in the fire, as did many of the vendors who operated in the market. Many of the vendors did not have renter's insurance to cover their losses.
Cyndy Burns owns Everyday Skate Shop. She believes her spot was located five or six booths from where the fire started. She had believed renter's insurance was unnecessary. She found comfort in the rarity of such a blaze and in the practice that most electricity was turned off each night. She lost $2,000 to $3,000 in merchandise.
"I'm sad. I lost everything, but it's just possessions," she said. "I had a blast ... I loved to go out there every weekend. I have met friends for life, and I've only been there for four months."
Some vendors said they lost more than $20,000 in merchandise, a major hit for small shops.
Meadow's clientele paid $2.50 per square foot, each week, to sell their wares. The money was paid one week in advance, so his staff worked Thursday to write refund checks to the estimated 130 vendors scheduled to attend this weekend.
Rent at the flea market was dramatically cheaper than vendors would pay at a larger facility, such as a mall. Its destruction eliminates a stepping stone many vendors used for bigger endeavors.
"I hate to see it happen," Meadows said. "They come in here with a low overhead, get started, get well established and then a lot of them go somewhere else and have a nice, permanent facility."
But the cheap rent is a two-edged sword. It attracts the clientele and provides opportunity, but it handicaps the owner's ability to build desired safety features into a new facility.
A sprinkler system is one example. Meadows knows that safety measure could have prevented the fire's spread. He also realizes the hefty price would increase rent and hurt his clients. He vowed to explore that possibility and any other ideas.
"Will the market justify that?" he asked. "If we put a lot of money back into the building, then will the clientele that we get in there -- can they justify the rent?"
Meadows was driving to St. Mary's Medical Center for a heart procedure when he saw the smoke Wednesday. The procedure was delayed. Meadows described himself to be in good health.
The flea market opened July 27, 1989. It had grown into one of the area's largest flea markets. Meadows envisioned the complex as a place for vendors to sell their produce. He also owns a greenhouse operation and the nearby Halfway Market.
