A Fire That Could Have Been Foretold

The fiery destruction of Eastern Market, our long-neglected, trash-strewn, rodent-infested "local treasure," hit us when we least expected it. Sure, the 19th-century Capitol Hill structure had no sprinkler system; the electrical wiring was faulty; the opaque plexiglass windows were set in rotted wood frames. But who could have guessed that those things might constitute a fire hazard?

The District has fire inspectors. Apparently, they didn't have a clue. Mayor Adrian Fenty told a community gathering yesterday that ensuring fire safety is "standard city practice." So this fire, like the one that nearly destroyed the historic Georgetown library, must have been a freak accident. Why else all the shock and awe?

Fire Chief Dennis Rubin told the gathering that the fire was most likely caused by a faulty electrical outlet and not an arsonist. What a relief. How terrible to think that someone cared less about our market than we do. Rubin noted that a specially trained dog had gone over the rubble and did not detect fire accelerants.

I guess the dog wasn't trained to pick up on things like those discarded cardboard boxes piled up against the wooden door in the rear. Of course, none of us -- the people who shop there weekly and consider it a hallowed institution -- ever saw the boxes. We just walked past them, weekend after weekend, oblivious to everything except the stuff in our arms that came out of the boxes.

Canales Deli was located just inside the door. "Every weekend, the dumpster overflows, and the boxes get scattered all over the place," Jose Canales, owner of the deli for 24 years, told me. "Several of us have complained about the smell and asked that the trash be removed more often. But nothing happened. So, all of that cardboard ended up getting wedged between the dumpster and the door. That's why the fire ignited so fast."

What the vendors say they want is a clean place to do business. They are obviously asking for too much. They want restrooms with toilets that work. But they can't get them. They want ample storage room for their goods. No. Air conditioning and heating, adequate lighting and parking space. Sorry.

"The rats come in underneath the doors and in between the cracks and hide under the floors," Melvin Inman Sr., owner of Market Poultry for 32 years, told me. "We have an exterminator who comes in every week, but all he can do is run the rats and roaches from one end of the market to the other."

New doors would be nice. But let's face it. The rest of us really like that old unvarnished look. The funky style went well with the hustle and bustle that made us feel like we were part of an old-fashioned community again. Sort of makes you forget how much the turmoil of gentrification is tearing us apart.

D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) said the customers were part of a "community family" that could be counted on to help rebuild the market. And the mayor, although "sad and upset," said he was "hopeful," too. The renovations that market vendors have been trying to get for more than 30 years will now be completed within 24 months, Fenty promised.

The project is expected to cost $30 million to $40 million, Fenty said, with the money coming from whatever surplus can be found in the city budget. He said vendors will be given tax relief and help rebuilding their businesses.

Linda "Ma" Brown, a truck farmer and owner of Southern Gourmet, had a specific issue in mind. "We've always had a problem with parking. They'll ticket you just for stopping to unload," Brown told the mayor.

Fenty promised to fix that, too. On Sunday, for Eastern Market Day festivities, the mayor and the D.C. police chief will be on hand to make sure the vendors can go about their business without being harassed by parking enforcement officers.

"We're going to do everything humanly possible to make you whole again," the mayor said to cheers.

Inman noted that it had taken a fire to get the city's attention.

"They say to get something done in the District, you need an act of Congress or the hand of God," he said.

Sure let's the rest of us off the hook. Thank you, Lord.

E-mail:milloyc@washpost.com