Deserted … Big Sam’s Market has been shut down
By Belinda Nolan
THE livelihood of dozens of stall-holders is up in smoke after a fire ripped through Big Sam’s Market in St Albans last week.
The bustling market was shut down after a fire broke out on Tuesday night, damaging several stalls and smoking out the entire building.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade acting commander Steve Rossiter told Star the fire began at around 6pm, following an electrical fault in a high voltage switchboard adjacent to a delicatessen.
“The fire was mostly contained to an area about 15m by 15m but the rest of the building was damaged by smoke,” Mr Rossiter said.
Several stalls on the western side of the building were burnt in the blaze, with the fire spreading along hardwood boards and into the ceiling.The damage bill is estimated at $250,000.
A total of 16 fire-fighters were at the scene, along with four pumpers and an aerial unit.
Fire-fighters initially had difficulty accessing the building and used oxygen pumps to help them breathe through the thick smoke.
Asbestos was also found at the site. Police were called to the scene to conduct traffic control in the minutes following the blaze.
It took more than 20 minutes to get the blaze under control, with fire crews forced to wait for Powercor workers to fix the electrical fault.
A health inspector was dispatched to the site last week to inspect food that had been damaged in the fire.
Market owner Nick Lo Presti said the blaze would have a devastating impact on the market’s 32 stall-holders, who depended on the trade to make their living.
“It’s been quite emotional because we’re talking about 32 families who rely on the market to make a living,” he said.
“It’s them who I feel for more than anything, and of course the customers.”
Mr Lo Presti said he had been devastated not to be able to get the news out to regular market goers who arrived on Thursday to find the market closed.
Shopper Gorci Dimkovska has been visiting the market for more than 30 years and was shocked to find it deserted on Thursday afternoon.
“I come here every week because I love the deli and the fresh fruit and vegetables,” Ms Dimkovska said.
“I’m very sorry that it will be closed because now I’ll have to find somewhere else to go.”
Mr Lo Presti said the market would re-open as soon as possible.
“We get thousands of customers every week and we don’t want to disappoint them,” Mr Lo Presti said.
“At this stage I’m not sure how long we will be closed down but our customers can rest assured that we will be back up and running as soon as possible.”
